Rhythm of the War Drum
by LAXgirl
Summary: The League of Villains has a plan to hit the heroes - especially All Might - where it hurts most. What's worse than believing a beloved friend is dead? Answer: finding out he's still alive and being used as your enemy's greatest weapon against you. Brainwashed!/Villain!Deku
1. Lay Your Head Down Child

While browsing Pinterest a few days ago I happened to come across several pieces of artwork depicting Villain!Deku which I immediately found fascinating. Call me weird, but I have a thing for good-guy-turned-villain scenarios. With such an image seared into my mind, I immediately headed over to fanfiction net to see what stories there were that touched on just such a concept only to find myself disappointed with what I found (or more accurately _didn't_ find). As in most cases which have spawned plot-bunnies in the past, I decided to take it upon myself to explore this idea and write the story that I wish I could have found. I couldn't get it out of my head: what could possibly happen to that sweet little cinnamon roll, Deku, to make him go to the dark side?

This is what I came up with.

Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia and am in no way making a profit from the telling of this story. Please don't sue. It won't be worth the lawyers' fees.

Second disclaimer: This story will have a fair amount of swearing in it as well as darker themes including, but not limited to, kidnapping, torture, psychological manipulation, and general unpleasantness.

 **Rhythm of the War Drums**

 _ **Chapter One: Lay Your Head Down Child**_

 _Flames crackled. Scraps of smoldering ash danced in the blast wind like playful insects. They drifted higher into the night sky before blinking completely out of existence. The fire was spreading. Already it was beginning to reach the next block away from the demolished train station. Screams drifted on the night breeze. Where they came from it was impossible to tell. The world around him had dissolved into hellish chaos._

 _Bakugo stared up at the one above him. He lay on his back, half buried in a foot deep crater. His hands were held in a steel-like grip on either side of his head. No matter how hard he struggled he couldn't shake the vice-like hands holding him captive. His gauntlets were long gone, shattered by incalculably hard blows. The bones in his wrists creaked under the pressure of his captor's grip. In this position he couldn't ignite the nitro-sweat on his palms close enough to inflict any damage on his opponent._

 _How had the bastard become so strong?!_

 _As Bakugo angrily kicked against the ground the one straddling his chest leaned down lower, digging his knees deeper into the hollows of Bakugo's shoulders and immobilizing his futile struggles. Pain shot down the length of Bakugo's arms._

 _"You fucker! Get off me!" Bakugo screamed. He writhed in helpless rage. Sparks crackled across his palms but did nothing to help him. "I'll kill you!"_

 _"Oh, Kacchan," the one above him grinned. "Stop being so charming."_

 _Firelight danced in the dominant boy's eyes, giving him a demonic look. Wind the same temperature of a blast furnace ruffled the shaggy locks of dark green hair. "We're only starting to have fun…"_

 _Bakugo glared murder at the other boy, his mind desperately trying to connect the image of the one above him to the one he remembered from his childhood._

 _That boy Bakugo remembered – the one who called him Kacchan and used to always follow him around like an annoying shadow – was completely different from the one currently pinning him to the ground._

 _The boy from his memories had never looked at him with that sadistic grin, or had that crazed look of madness in his eyes. Small bubbles of saliva foamed at the corners of his captor's mouth. The mouth guard of his costume dangled from his neck as he leaned over Bakugo, like the broken muzzle of a rabid animal._

 _"Deku, get the hell off me!" Bakugo raged, thrashing uselessly._

 _Izuku Midoriya grinned his unsettling new grin._

 _With deliberate slowness, Midoriya shifted one finger from Bakugo's right wrist to underneath the captured boy's index finger. A line of crackling gold-laced energy shot across Midoriya's hand. With an almost careless flick Midoriya sent Bakugo's finger flying backwards. The sound of his breaking bones reminded Bakugo of dry kindling snapping._

 _The pain was immediate and intense. Bakugo couldn't stop the startled scream that ripped from his mouth. Bakugo stared at his shattered digit. It hung backwards from his knuckle like a drooping hot dog._

 _A low chuckle sounded above him._

 _Midoriya craned his upper body away from Bakugo. His unkempt hair swayed in the hot backdraft. Flames danced in the gutted remains of the train station behind him. The image reminded Bakugo of a painting he'd once seen as a child at the local temple – one of a demon standing before the gates of Hell._

 _Midoriya's lips curled away from his teeth in a deranged Cheshire grin. His eyes stared down in open bloodlust._

 _"That was fun, Kacchan. Let's do that again."_

 _His finger moved underneath Bakugo's middle finger._

 _Bakugo stared up at Midoriya. For possibly the first time in his life fear – true, unadulterated_ **fear** _– washed over him like an icy wave. With sudden, blood-curdling certainty Bakugo realized he was completely at his former childhood friend's mercy._

* * *

It was a picturesque summer day. Class 1A couldn't have asked for a better day for a group outing. The outdoor mall was a hive of activity. People moved from store to store in search of bargains. Most moved in pairs, sometimes small groups of three, except for one girl standing by herself by one of the upper level's glass railings that overlooked the center courtyard below.

 _Stupid,_ Uraraka admonished herself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Why did she run away from Midoriya like that? After their group had broken up into smaller pairs to pursue their individual economic conquests Uraraka had had the perfect opportunity to be alone with the boy she admired more than everyone else in their class. It was stupid. She'd run away because she'd been caught off guard by the unexpected opportunity. Why did she have to be this shy around Midoriya?

She already knew the answer to that: she had a crush on him. Aoyama had realized before even she had. It wasn't that surprising really. The sweet, almost deceptively quiet boy had won a place in the hearts of almost everyone in their class. Just the thought of his shy smile made Uraraka's cheeks burn hot and once again curse her cowardice.

With a surge of resolve Uraraka decided she had to go back and at least apologize for her abrupt departure.

Making her way back towards the escalator, Uraraka scanned the courtyard below. Surely Midoriya wouldn't have moved too far away from where she'd left him. At first she couldn't see any sign of him, but just as she came to the top of the escalator she spotted his familiar mop of green hair. He was sitting off to the side of the courtyard on a bench.

Good. He hadn't gone far. There was still a chance for them to walk around together.

As Uraraka stepped on to the moving steps she noticed another sitting beside Midoriya. From a distance, it looked like a man in a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up. They seemed to be sitting very close to each other. The man's arm was thrown over Midoriya's shoulder in a friendly embrace.

Uraraka wondered who the man was. Maybe Midoriya had come across an old friend while walking the mall.

The two were lost from sight as she neared the bottom of the escalator. As she stepped off the last step and turned towards where she'd seen Midoriya and his friend, a high-pitched scream pierced the air.

Everyone in the vicinity instantly froze, heads instinctively swiveling around towards the source of the scream. Uraraka couldn't see where it had come from. Another scream sounded, followed by a swell of panicked shouts.

People began to run. One man bumped into Uraraka and almost sent her crashing to the ground. She somehow managed to keep her footing and stared in the direction everyone was running from. Between the moving bodies she saw what had caused the panic.

There, about a hundred feet away, a man in a black sweatshirt held a woman by her neck. He held her high. Her feet uselessly churned the air below her for purchase, her toes barely scraping the ground. As Uraraka watched, the woman's gurgled scream abruptly stopped and she dissolved into a cloud of ash. The man's sadistic cackle echoed across the courtyard, chilling Uraraka's blood.

That man… wasn't he the same man Uraraka had seen sitting with Midoriya?

People everywhere were running. Another person – this time a mother with a young child clutched to her chest – clipped Uraraka and sent her sprawling backwards. She hit the ground hard.

Another scream followed by a cloud of ash.

Uraraka stared in horror at the scene. She tried to look away but couldn't seem to make her body respond to her brain's commands.

The man tilted his head back and let out another laugh. His hood fell back from his face. Uraraka gasped. It was Shigaraki – the man who had led the attack on their class at the emergency response facility. He was the leader of the League of Villains. He was also the one that nearly killed Aizawa with his pet monster and their teacher in bandages for the better part of that semester.

Shigaraki's eyes found Uraraka across the courtyard. His gaze bore into her. Uraraka inwardly cringed back from the psychotic joy she saw gleaming in those depths. For a split second, she feared he was going to rush her and turn her into a pile of ash.

Instead he cackled another laugh.

"My work here is done," he grinned. His dry, cracking lips curled up the sides of his face. "Be a good little girl and tell everyone what you saw here today. Tell them the League of Villains is just getting started and that no one is safe anymore. The age of heroes – especially All Might – is over. You can tell him I'll be seeing him again soon."

A cloud of transdimensional black smoke swirled into being behind him. With one final, almost mocking, wave to Uraraka Shigaraki stepped through and disappeared. The warp gate shrunk behind him from existence. His departure was so abrupt Uraraka momentarily wondered if she'd really just seen what she did.

The screams of the panicked crowd seemed strangely far away now. She could hear the faint warble of police sirens in the distance.

Uraraka looked around. The mall was almost completely deserted now. It was weird that barely ten minutes ago this had been a humming spot of human activity. Now it reminded her of a ghost town.

A soft breeze drifted through the courtyard, stirring the piles of ash that littered the ground. In a stunned daze, Uraraka scanned the area. All those people… just gone. She counted at least a dozen piles of charred carbon that had once been human beings.

As she took in the quiet devastation left in Shigaraki's wake, Uraraka spotted something laying off to the side of the courtyard. It lay halfway underneath a bench where it had probably been kicked by a scared civilian in their rush to escape.

It was a bright yellow backpack.

While not necessarily an uncommon item, especially considering the amount of students that had been there celebrating the end of the semester, it was the color that made it stand out to her. Uraraka recognized it. How could she not from all the afternoons walking with its owner to the train station after class?

That was Midoriya's backpack.

A trill of horror gripped Uraraka's heart. Where was Midoriya? She'd just seen him. Was he somewhere nearby?

The warble of police sirens was getting louder.

No matter how desperately she scanned the empty shopping area Uraraka saw no sign of Midoriya. All she saw were the shapeless piles of ash that marked the spot of Shigaraki's victims.

* * *

In the wake of the mall attack, police and heroes alike were scrambled to the scene. Police statements were taken from all those present. Besides Uraraka, though, no one had been close enough to give a description of the man who'd attacked the mall goers. When the police had found her, the young heroine was standing in the middle of the empty mall surrounded by piles of ash and clutching a yellow backpack to her chest.

Due to Shigaraki's destructive quirk, it was impossible for forensic teams to properly ID those who'd fallen victim to his touch. His quirk seemed to disintegrate items on a molecular level, eliminating any chance of DNA analysis. Search parties were formed to scour the surrounding areas, but besides eye witness reports and next of kin looking for friends and family they'd been separated from during the attack, there was nothing to definitively say who was missing.

Finally, after two days, with no word from the boy and no definitive proof to say otherwise, Izuku Midoriya was officially listed as killed in the League of Villain's attack. It was the general consensus of those that had known him that when Shigaraki began his assault, Midoriya had probably rushed in to help and been caught in the villain's rampage.

A small memorial service was held for Midoriya at UA high school. The majority of his classmates and teachers were in attendance. The most notable, of course, was All Might who spent the majority of the service standing by himself on the side of the room in a somber black suit. Although his trademark smile was in place – "As a tribute to young Midoriya who once told me he wanted to make the world a better place with a heroic smile!" – it was noticeably forced. Uraraka could never say for sure, but at one point during the service she thought she saw a single tear appear in the corner of All Might's eye.

In the days following the attack, news stations couldn't seem to agree on an official death toll of the shopping center attack. Estimates were put anywhere between seventeen to twenty-two people. The one thing they all did agree on was who was ultimately behind the attack – the League of Villains.

Everyday the newscasters ran reports on the organization and the slow but steady increase in criminal behavior around the city and across the country as a whole. Tokyo and all the surrounding cities were placed on high alert. Heroes from every agency in every municipality were called into action. A number of public events were cancelled. Even those that weren't – sports games, concerts, and festivals – were poorly attended. Once thriving, active areas became eerily silent. People began to avoid amusement parks, shopping centers, and recreation areas. If one small shopping mall wasn't safe from a villain attack what other public space was? A series of small attacks from low level villains around the city only served to increase the public's anxiety.

UA's first-year summer training camp was cancelled, though none of the students of 1A really protested. The loss of one of their own had hit too close for many of them.

So it was with heavy hearts 1A began their second semester at UA.

* * *

"So what did you do over summer vacation?" Tsuyu asked conversationally.

It was several minutes before the start of homeroom on their first day back for fall semester. The girls of class 1A were huddled together in a circle around Yaoyorozu's desk. The boys were clustered in their own individual cliques of twos and threes.

"I visited my grandparents in Shimane prefecture," Mina offered. "After they cancelled the camping trip and the city went on alert my parents wanted to get away for awhile."

"Can't get much farther away from everything than Shimane," Jiro said.

"You said it," Mina agreed with a sigh. "I spent three weeks doing nothing but staring at rice paddies. It was enough to almost make me wish they hadn't cancelled summer classes for the ones that failed last semester's finals."

"At least you got to go somewhere," Yaoyorozu said. "My parents barely let me leave the house all summer after what happened at the mall." As though realizing what she'd just said, Yaoyorozu trailed off uncomfortably.

"How about you?" Tsuyu asked, glancing at Uraraka desperately to shift the focus of conversation. The shopping mall attack had unspokenly become a taboo topic. "What'd you do?"

Uraraka couldn't bring herself to meet the frog girl's gaze and stared at the top of the desk.

Uraraka's heart tightened painfully in her chest. Even now almost two months after the attack just the mention of it made her have to fight back tears. How could the rest of them talk so casually about what happened? After all that death they had seen up close?

"Nothing special," she murmured. "I was kind of in the same boat as Yaoyorozu. Just stayed home…" If she sounded unconvincing she didn't care. How could she admit to her fellow classmates that while she had spent the majority of summer break at home, it had been spent fighting back tears every time a news report reminded her of the attack that killed her friend and created this culture of fear currently gripping their society?

The other girls seemed to sense the ill-veiled grief in Uraraka's voice. Before any could say anything about it the homeroom bell chimed.

"Everyone to their seats!" Iida unnecessarily ordered. All of them were already sitting attentively.

"Alright, alright, settle down," Aizawa groused as he slouched through the door and took his place behind the teaching podium.

The students sat straighter in their seats as the Erasing hero tapped a stack of papers together on the podium. Aizawa had never been a particularly warm and welcoming teacher, but he seemed even more unapproachable than usual.

"Class rep," he said, holding out the stack of papers to Iida. "Pass these out."

Barely a minute later everyone had a syllabus for the new semester. The class was quiet as they digested the information written there.

"As you've probably noticed, there's not a lot of typical classes listed this semester as compared to last," Aizawa mumbled, glancing around the room with blood-shot eyes. "Classes like mathematics, English, and Japanese Literature have been removed from this semester's schedule to make room for more practical application classes for hero track students. I'm sure all of you are aware of the threat the League of Villains is posing. All hero agencies and police forces have been placed on high alert by the national government. Due to the heightened security in almost all public areas, the national government has requested UA to lend its hero track teachers and students to the roster to help patrol the city. In a way you can consider this an extension of your original internships from last semester."

Uraraka quietly digested this information. The classroom rippled with excitement but it was noticeably subdued compared to previous announcements like this. Just two months ago nearly everyone in the room would have been writhing in excitement. Now, all of them knew the true threat criminal organizations like the League of Villains posed.

Uraraka couldn't stop her eyes from sliding to the side of the room where an empty desk sat immediately behind Bakugo. Despite it being a new semester, no one had felt it right to take the seat of their missing classmate. Midoriya's place remained unfilled despite an untold number of students in other tracks vying for the coveted spot in the hero track.

"This is a great honor," Aizawa continued. "The national government is putting its trust in you as future heroes to help protect this city. I know this is a huge responsibility to place on first year students, but you have all already proven yourselves capable in the past of meeting such a challenge. That's why the government is issuing all of you provisional licenses to use your quirks in emergency situations. This is the dawn of a new era of villainy. We must all be ready to do what we can to help combat it, whether we think we're actually ready for it or not. That is what the true spirit of being a hero is."

Aizawa changed the topic and began lecturing on how that semester's curriculum was to be structured. Uraraka didn't miss the way his eyes drifted towards the empty desk behind Bakugo and lingered there a few moments longer than a passing glance would have warranted.

* * *

Less than a week later found Uraraka on a school-sanctioned patrol in the heart of the city. After a day of classes the students were randomly paired together in groups of two with a UA teacher or sidekick from a local hero agency acting as their supervisor. Everyday their patrol areas changed. Typically their teams were spread out every two or three miles to cover a different ward. While technically working as heroes, their mission was to observe and report any suspicious behavior to the pros that were also on patrol.

On this particular day, Uraraka had been paired with Bakugo. Their team leader was Midnight. It was getting close to dusk. Their shift was to end in the next hour. Their mission that evening was to watch the Shibuya-area Hoth train station.

As most of the villain attacks thus far had been centered on public areas, places like train stations, subways stops, and major commercial plazas were the focus of the heroes' patrols. The three were stationed on the rooftop of an office building located directly across from the train station's main entrance. The night air was warm with the final lingering traces of summer. Several stars had already begun to peek out against the darkening backdrop of the twilight sky. Every so often Uraraka smelt the whiff of grilled food from one of the many eateries that lined the streets around the station.

"God, this is so boring," Bakugo groused from his perch on the far side of the rooftop. "It's been a week of patrols and no one's seen any trace of a villain. It's like they're hiding from us."

"Now, now, young man," Midnight admonished with a sultry purr. "Heroes must be patient. While boring at times, surveillance can be quite thrilling when one's prey finally emerges. In any case, we're on a strictly observe and report mission for these patrols. Student engagement is highly discouraged."

Bakugo said nothing, but the way he whipped away from their teacher to glare down at the train station – as if daring a villain to make an appearance – Uraraka knew he was gritting his teeth together in silent rage. Uraraka could almost feel the waves of frustrated energy rolling off him. It only made Uraraka more uncomfortable to be in his presence. She'd never been a fan of the hot headed fire-starter, but being teamed with him with none other than Midnight of all teachers made Uraraka feel like a fish completely out of water. Could she have been teamed with any other people that were less like her? She didn't necessarily dislike Midnight, but her almost vulgar display of sexuality made Uraraka extremely uncomfortable and self-conscious.

The teams were chosen at random and only lasted a day, so Uraraka at least had the comfort of knowing she only had about an hour more of this.

"You two stay here," Midnight abruptly announced. "I'm going to check on the station's other entrances. Report anything suspicious to me immediately."

With a flip of her hair and a snap of her whip, she leapt away into the darkness.

Uraraka stared after her for a long moment of silence before turning her attention back onto the ebb and flow of human movement below. Bakugo stood on the other side of the roof, almost out of her side-vision. It was almost hypnotic watching people going about their everyday lives – coming home from work, heading out to meet friends for a drink – completely unaware of those watching them from afar. Did those people ever stop and think about the ones that watched over them? Did they ever wonder how much effort went into keeping them safe?

"Look at them all," Uraraka softly murmured. "Do you ever wonder if they think about all the heroes working to keep them safe?"

"Hell if I care," Bakugo snorted. Not that Uraraka was really expecting any other response from the blond firebomb but a part of her had secretly hoped she could have had a civil conversation with him to pass the last hour of their patrol together.

She knew she should stop while she was ahead but there was something she'd been wanting to ask Bakugo since the end of last semester.

"Hey, Bakugo. I know you probably don't want to talk about it but I wanted to ask you… Why did you come to Midoriya's memorial service last semester? I mean… I always thought you hated him."

The boy's reaction was expectedly violent. "Why do you care if I was at that pathetic nerd's service?!" He turned hellfire eyes on her. With the lights of the train station under-lighting his features Uraraka regretted voicing her thoughts. "I wasn't going to go but the teachers made it sound like it was mandatory. I wasn't about to lose my number-one spot in class by being docked points by not going. It was that nerd's own damn fault he died! He always wanted to be a hero. Always running into fights he couldn't win. If he had had any sense he would have run away and let someone else like me who could've actually done something about that guy fight! But no! His stupidity had to get him killed!"

Bakugo whipped away from the roof edge and stormed away into the darker shadows of the roof. He reminded of Uraraka of a caged animal. His back to her, Bakugo growled, "It's not fair… I never got to properly kick his ass one last time." Shooting a glare over his shoulder towards Uraraka as though blaming for the unwanted memories, he snarled, "Why did you have to bring up that pathetic dweeb, huh?! I don't want to talk about him anymore. So shut you mouth for the rest of our patrol or you're gonna be sorry!"

With a snarl Bakugo stalked across the roof as far away from Uraraka as he could. He stood looking over the edge of the roof, refusing to look in her direction.

Uraraka stared after him. Despite his harsh words and ever harsher personality, Uraraka heard the regret in his voice. In his own warped way he was still mourning their missing classmate, same as her. Bakugo, whether because of his psychological hang ups or his inability to talk about Izuku Midoriya in any other way than violence – used anger as a cover for how he felt. He and Midoriya might have had a complicated past, but it was obvious the hot head missed the freckled boy.

Uraraka wasn't sure how she felt about the revelation. In some ways it made her feel closer to Bakugo. Even Bakugo had been effected by Midoriya's death. But at the same time, his emotional immaturity made it nearly impossible for Uraraka to hope she'd found a kindred spirit in Bakugo who she could share her pain with.

Uraraka wiped at the moisture that had gather unbidden in the corner of her eye. She hadn't even realized she'd begun to cry. It just proved how raw the loss of Midoriya still was to her.

Before she could worry about Bakugo seeing the evidence of her grief a sudden explosion sent a plume of fire and smoke billowing up from the train station's entrance. The rooftop shook with the force of the blast. Uraraka involuntarily cried out and shielded her face from the intense heat as a second explosion rocked Hoth train station. She was knocked backwards from the edge by the force.

"What the-?" she heard Bakugo scream from across the roof. His voice was barely audible over the deafening crackle of fire.

Shakily pushing herself to her feet, Uraraka looked over the edge of the roof. What she saw below barely resembled a train station anymore. The walls of the building looked like the charred skeletal remains of some ancient giant that had been eaten from the inside out by hellfire. She could see people amongst the flames. Some ran. Others stumbled away from the inferno as if in a daze. Others lay among the charred debris, eerily motionless. Screams were the soundtrack of this hellish scene.

Uraraka was so stunned by the carnage she was only startled out of her trance by Bakugo suddenly appearing beside her.

"Look! Villains!"

Uraraka followed his gaze and that he was right. Far below, a large warp gate had opened in front of the ruined train station. From its inky depths several figures emerged. Uraraka counted five – no six! - as the warp gate coalesced into the League of Villains's member – Kurogiri's – ethereal black form.

Two of the villains were ones she'd never seen before. Low level thugs by the looks of them. Another two looked like the mindless genetically modified quirk monsters known as Nomus. Both of them had exposed brains with bulging, vacant eyes. One of them – it had four extra arms sprouting from its hunched back – gave a terrifying shriek.

The last member of the group took his place beside Kurogiri. Disembodied hands the color of dead flesh gripped his arms and shoulders. One hand was wrapped across his face like the newly hatched space monster of a classic horror movie Uraraka remembered watching as a child. The extra hand and his unkempt grey-blue hair obscured his face, but Uraraka instantly recognized him.

She must have involuntarily gasped because Bakugo speared her with a glare. "What?"

"It's…" Uraraka struggled to form words. Her throat was constricted by a violent rush of fear. "It's _him._ "

"Who?!"

"The villain that killed Midoriya!"

A strange look lit Bakugo's eyes as they swung downwards towards the cluster of villains.

"That's the bastard that killed the nerd?"

"Yes," Uraraka breathed. Her heart was hammering against the inside of her chest. "I'd recognize him from anywhere."

"Then I'm going to kill him!"

Before Uraraka could register Bakugo's words, the hot head was airborne – flying over the side of the rook with a fiery blast from his palms. His eyes were locked on the villains below.

"Bakugo, no!"

He was already gone.

Uraraka stood frozen for a long moment of indecision before her training finally kicked in and she remembered their mission.

"Mayday! Mayday!" she screamed over the radio-comm nestled in her ear. "Mayday! Villains spotted at Hoth train station, Shibuya! Multiple civilian casualties! All units, please converge, immediately!"

"Uraraka!" Midnight's voice crackled across her ear piece. "Remain where you are! Heroes are in route!"

Uraraka stared over the edge of the roof. Bakugo had reached the ground. The two thug-looking villains charged him. With a fiery blast from Bakugo's open palms they fell to the ground screaming. Their clothes were smoking. Even so far up Uraraka smelled the scent of grilled meat again.

"Bakugo!" she yelled. Whether he actually heard her or not, Uraraka couldn't say.

"You bastards! I'm gonna kill you for what you did!"

Uraraka knew she should follow Midnight's orders - to stay back and not engage. But there was Bakugo charging into battle to face off a group of super-quirk villains. She might not have really liked Bakugo as a person but in this instance he was her teammate and she wasn't about to lose another classmate to the League. For Midoriya she would do what she could to keep Bakugo alive long enough for the pros to show up.

With a surge of anti-gravity, Uraraka vaulted over the rooftop in pursuit of her classmate. She land on the ground with a small jolt.

As Bakugo neared the last several dozen yards that separated him and the assembled villains he abruptly skidded to a stop and whipped one gauntlet-heavy arm around towards them. A pull pin dropped from the side of his gauntlet.

"This is for Deku!" he screamed as he pulled the pin and unleashed a hell storm of flames towards his foes.

Uraraka was several yards behind Bakugo and saw the warp gate appear in front of the villains. Before she could shout a warning, another warp gate appeared in the air only several feet to Bakugo's right. A wall of flames erupted from it. Bakugo was momentarily lost behind the flash of deadly fire.

Uraraka skidded to a halt. The heat from the redirected blast was suffocating. Even twenty feet away she could feel the flames lick at the edges of her costume. A billow of smoke followed, temporarily blinding her. She coughed and wiped at the ashy tears clogging her vision.

Bakugo had been knocked down by his own blast. For a moment, Uraraka feared the worst. His costume was charred black in places. His upper arms and neck where his top didn't cover were a painful looking welted pink. Gathering his strength, Bakugo slowly, painfully, pushed himself to his feet. Despite his self-inflicted injuries his eyes hadn't lost any of their murderous intent.

"You bastards think some cheap trick is going to protect you?" he spat. "By the time I'm done you're going to regret ever being born!"

"You hear the mouth on this one?" Shigaraki chuckled, glancing at Kurogiri. "Knocked over by his own attack and he still has the balls to threaten us."

Shigaraki took a step forward. One eye stared from between the thumb and index finger of the hand covering his face. "I recognize you. You're one of those brats from the UA facility. You know you caused us a lot of trouble back there."

"You just wait!" Bakugo snarled, smearing a streak of sooty blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his glove. "I'm going to cause you a lot more than trouble for what you've done!"

"And what's that?" Shigaraki quired as though genuinely confused. "The USJ attack was months ago. You can't still be this upset about that little skirmish."

"I'm going to kill you for what you did to Deku, you sick bastard!" Bakugo screamed. "You killed him! That nerd was mine to take down! Not yours! I'm going to make you pay for taking that away from me!"

A startled laugh erupted from behind Shigaraki's face hand.

"Kill him? Oh no, no. You're entirely mistaken. I never killed that boy. Quite the opposite you see. I took him to help him… _improve_ his abilities. He might have pissed me off at the USJ attack but after some consideration even I realized what a powerful tool he could be against that phony hero All Might."

Uraraka and Bakugo stared at Shigaraki in startled silence.

"W-what?" Uraraka breathed in disbelief. Did she actually hear him right? Was Midoriya somehow, somewhere still alive?

Shigaraki motioned to Kurogiri. "Kurogiri, let's bring out our secret weapon. I was going to wait until the real heroes showed up but the brat's friends seem eager to see him. They'll be a good warm up for him."

"As you wish," Kurogiri intoned.

A warp gate opened beside Shigaraki. A figure slowly stepped through into the flickering firelight of the train station.

Uraraka gasped. Bakugo seemed frozen in place. He stared at the newest arrival.

"The fuck is this?" he weakly stammered. His rage had been completely replaced by shock.

Although skinnier and his hair longer than how she remembered, Uraraka recognized him. She'd recognize those endearing sprays of freckles anywhere! Her heart swelled with an almost heady rush of relief.

It was him. It was-

"Deku!"

 _To Be Continued…_

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Should I continue with this? Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Please review!


	2. Count Bodies Like Sheep

Greetings! I want to give a big thank you to those that took the time to drop me a message last chapter. Feedback is one of my biggest motivators for getting a new chapter out. So without further ado, enjoy!

 **Chapter Two: Count Bodies Like Sheep**

"Deku!"

The cry rang out over the roaring fire of the gutted train station. Uraraka could barely contain the joy that washed over her at the sight of their missing classmate. Almost immediately that joy was replaced by uncertainty and then dawning realization.

While it was definitely Midoriya that had stepped through Kurogiri's warp gate she sensed something different about him. Midoriya was dressed in a green jumpsuit, white gloves and boots that were almost identical to his old school-issued costume, complete with a metal mouth guard that hung from his neck against his chest. His hair was longer than Uraraka remembered. It hung around his face in unkempt curls. Midoriya was also noticeably skinner. There was a hollowed look to his cheeks as if he hadn't had a proper meal since he'd disappeared in Shigaraki's attack at the shopping mall. Most striking, however, was the change to Midoriya's eyes. Half-hidden by his overlong bangs, they seemed shadowed and dull, almost like the boy was in a trance. He stared listlessly ahead, not even glancing in Bakugo or Uraraka's direction. It was like he didn't even realize they were there.

The rotten feeling in the pit of Uraraka's stomach worsened.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Bakugo! Uraraka!" a voice called out. Midnight had returned. She swooped down from the rooftop of the building across the street. She was closely followed by Aizawa with Mineta and Todoroki. Uraraka vaguely remembered them being teamed together for that evening's patrol and being assigned the district just over from her and Bakugo's. They must have responded to Uraraka's distress call and met up with Midnight on the way there.

"I told you two not to engage!" Midnight angrily yelled. She snapped her whip as though in promise of the punishment she was already formulating in her head.

Neither Uraraka or Bakugo fully acknowledged her threat or the newcomers' arrival. They were still too in shock of Midoriya's unexpected return.

It was only then that Aizawa, Midnight, Todoroki, and Mineta seemed to recognize the one standing next to the Shigaraki and Kurogiri.

"Midoriya?" Todoroki gasped. He took an unconscious step forward, as though ready to go to the other boy. He was stopped by Aizawa throwing a restraining arm out.

"Stay back," Aizawa ordered. He was glaring daggers at the small huddle of villains. "Is this some kind of sick joke?" he demanded. His hair flew up from around his face, his bloodshot eyes narrowed to slits. The strips of cloth around his neck undulated in the air like cobras about to strike.

Shigaraki let out a mocking laugh. "You think this is really someone with a shape shifting quirk, don't you? I'm happy to break it to you that this really is Izuku Midoriya – your former student."

Aizawa continue to stare, unconvinced. But as the seconds ticked by and the green-haired boy's face did not dissolve into another person under the Erasing Hero's quirk, Aizawa finally broke his gaze.

"What have you done to him?" Aizawa demanded. Whether consciously or not, Aizawa took a step closer as though ready to snatch his missing student back from the two villains.

Shigaraki chortled behind the disembodied hand clutching his face. "I knew All Might had a soft spot for the kid, so I decided to take him to hurt All Might where it would hurt the most." With no warning, Shigaraki grabbed Midoriya by the jaw and roughly tilted his head backwards. Midoriya barely reacted to the rough handling. He just stood there and let Shigaraki do what he wanted. "Imagine how All Might will react when he finds out this brat is my pet now. It took us awhile but we finally broke him. Aizawa, you would have been proud of his fighting spirit but we crushed it just like we're going to do to all you pathetic heroes."

Shigaraki finally released Midoriya's face. The boy quietly bowed his head but did not shuffle away from the villain or do anything else to indicate he wished to escape. His empty eyes stared at the ground.

Shigaraki motioned to Midoriya's body. "Like his costume? We thought we'd deck him out like how he dressed when he was still All Might's pet student." He roughly ruffled Midoriya's hair. "Won't he be surprised when he sees you?" He cackled with delight at the idea.

Unable to watch anymore of the villain's abuse, Midnight snapped her whip. "Midoriya, get away from them! Come back to us! We'll protect you!"

It was like Midoriya didn't even hear her. She might as well have been calling to one of the mindless Nomus flanking Shigaraki and Kurogiri. He obediently remained where he was, staring with empty eyes.

Shigaraki laughed at Midnight's failed attempt. "What do you think, Kurogiri? Should we give them a demonstration? Let's show them what we trained the brat to do."

Shigaraki pulled a small device from his pocket. It was a simple black box with a single button on it. Holding it up as though to give all of them a clear view, he slowly depressed the button.

A barely audible click sounded from behind Midoriya. It was only then that Uraraka noticed, hiding underneath his hair and the strap of his mouth guard, a small metal box about the size of a deck of cards attached to the back of Midoriya's neck. Three small tubes sprouted from each side of the device and disappeared into the sides of his neck. As Uraraka watched, the tubes jumped and a pulse of red liquid shot into Midoriya.

Whatever the liquid was had an immediate effect on Midoriya. He curled against himself, his body hunching into a trembling U. His breathing became heavy and labored. One hand clutched at his heart. Crackling waves of energy exploded across his back and down his arms. As the waves of energy subsided, he lifted his head. Uraraka took an involuntary step back. Midoriya's lips were curled back from his teeth in the manic parody of a smile. But the most disturbing change of all was to his eyes. Eyes once empty and devoid of any emotions were now filled with a madness that reminded Uraraka of Bakugo when he was in the throes of one of his fits of battle lust. It scared her on a level she never thought the soft-spoken Midoriya could ever scare her.

"What did you just give him?" Aizawa snarled.

Shigaraki shrugged. "A little of this, a little of that. Let's just say it's a special concoction one of our members came up with to make sure the brat does what we say while also enhancing his abilities. It basically turns him into a mindless attack dog that feels no pain or fear. Call me dramatic, but I've taken to calling it Berserker Serum. I assure you, it lives up to its name."

Shigaraki leaned down to Midoriya. "You remember your friends now, don't you?"

Midoriya gave a short, definitive nod. The manic look in his eyes shined brighter.

"Very good," Shigaraki nodded with approval. "Now go rip them apart."

Midoriya's deranged grin widened. Crisscrossed tracks of glowing red energy appeared across his face and down his arms. With an inhuman howl, Midoriya charged the closest person to him - Midnight.

Faster than any of the assembled heroes had ever seen Midoriya move, he covered a distance of almost twenty feet in less than the blink of the eye. Midnight had no chance to defend herself before a supercharged punch to the midsection doubled her over and sent her flying backwards into a building. She limply slumped to the ground at the base of the wall, unconscious. An impact crater marred the brick façade where she'd hit. Fractures ran in a spider web design almost five feet in all directions from the impact point.

Uraraka stood frozen in shock. When had Deku become so fast? It was impossible. He had been starting to get more control of his quirk in the weeks leading up to the shopping mall attack, but for him to have improved so much in almost two months? It was unnatural. His speed and power were now at top-rated pro levels.

A screech from one of the genetically modified monsters the League of Villians called Nomus startled Uraraka back to the present. One of them – the one with four extra arms sprouting from its back – charged her and Bakugo. The other, Uraraka noticed out of the corner of her eye, was going after Aizawa and Mineta.

Aizawa's hair was lifted from around his face, meaning he'd activated his quirk against the charging monster. It didn't seem to have any effect on the beast, however. The Nomu was too powerful even without the use of its quirk.

A deafening explosion flashed around the eight-limbed monster. "Come at me, you bastard!" Bakugo screamed over the crack of ripping air molecules. The Nomu gave a terrifying screech in reply.

Uraraka hesitated for a moment. She wanted to go to Midoriya – to call to him again, perhaps help him recognize her and snap him out of whatever hold Shigaraki had over him. Another explosion of flames erupted from Bakugo.

No, Uraraka told herself. As much as she wanted to and as much as it quietly killed her inside, Deku had to wait. She had to help Bakugo with this Nomu first and then she would help Midoriya.

She just hoped there would be enough time to do so.

* * *

"Get back!" Aizawa cried as he pushed Mineta out of the way as the bug-eyed Nomu charged past them. "Find cover! Do not try to engage either Nomu or Midoriya! Send a mayday call for more reinforcements! We need as many heroes and support teams we can get here, _now_!"

Mineta didn't need to be told twice. "Yes, sir!"

Scrambling to the right he dodged a clumsy swipe from the Nomu's clawed hand. Before the Nomu could follow after Mineta, Aizawa sent several lines of reinforced cloth wrapping around the monster's wrists and neck and physically pulled the beast's attention back towards him.

"Go, Mineta!" he yelled over the monster's angry roar.

Stumbling over the chunks of concrete and strewn debris that littered the street Mineta dove behind an overturned taxi halfway down the street from where Aizawa fought the Nomu. One side of the taxi was charred black. Mineta assumed it was from the initial explosion that had devastated the train station. The boy pressed his back to the taxi's side, hyperventilating.

This wasn't how he was planning the evening to unfold. Their patrols weren't supposed to be combat! They were supposed to be strictly surveillance! How had he had the bad luck to be assigned near an area the League of Villains had decided to attack? They had had less than an hour to go for their patrol too! It wasn't fair! This kind of battle was something pro heroes were paid to deal with.

Reaching a shaking hand to his ear he activated his wideband comm-device. "T-the League of Villains is at Hoth train station!" he cried over the shriek of Nomus and explosions in the background. "We need backup ASAP! Heroes, police, support units - _everybody_! Hurry!"

Nothing but a burst of static answered him. Whether it was the fire or something else, he wasn't getting a signal. Dread ran down the length of Mineta's spine like ice water. Units were surely already in route from Uraraka's initial distress call, but how long would it take for the pros and police to arrive? And even when they did, would they be enough to go up against the League of Villains?

Mustering some small shred of courage, Mineta timidly peeked around the side of the overturned taxi.

Across the street, Bakugo and Uraraka were working together to fight back the other Nomu. As Mineta watched, Bakugo shot a fiery blast into the Nomu's misshapen face. The Nomu reared back with a fearsome screech. While the beast angrily wiped at its eyes, Uraraka levitated a large chunk of concrete and sent it flying at the monster. The projectile knocked the Nomu to the ground.

Closer to the burning remains of the train station, Shigaraki and Kurogiri were watching the fights unfold. Shigaraki had a delighted look in his one visible eye that made Mineta's stomach churn. He unconsciously ducked lower behind the taxi.

Why did his luck have to suck so much?! He hadn't been planning to die tonight!

Carefully peeking around the taxi's back wheel he watched as Midoriya turned to face Todoroki. Mineta's hands were physically shaking now. He was so afraid he felt frozen in place. He couldn't have forced himself to move even if there was somewhere for him to run. All he could do was watch as Midoriya - class 1A's quiet self-proclaimed fanboy – stalk towards Todoroki like a berserker demon from the deepest pits of hell.

"Midoriya, stop this!" Todoroki cried as he sent a wall of ice shooting out of the ground towards the other boy. "I don't know what those villains have done to you, but I know you're stronger than them!"

Midoriya dodged the sheet of ice that spread across the ground before it could ensnare his feet and slammed a fist through the resulting wall of ice that appeared between him and Todoroki. The ice wall shuddered and crumbled under the force of his blow.

"You're going to have to try harder than that to defeat me this time," Midoriya snarled. Wild eyes stared at Todoroki from underneath overgrown bangs.

"Midoriya, snap out of it! I know this isn't you!" Mineta might have only been imagining it, but he couldn't help but think that Todoroki was pleading.

The green-haired boy grinned his manic grin. Tracks of energy again appeared across his face and down his body.

As though realizing words weren't going to work, Todoroki's left side erupted into a plume of dancing flames.

"That's more like it," Midoriya purred. With an explosion of energy he rushed the other boy.

Todoroki raised his flame-wreathed arm towards Midoriya as though to fire off an attack but visibly hesitated.

Midoriya did not. He swung his fist in a haymaker punch. From a distance of over twenty feet away, Mineta heard the impact of Midoriya's knuckles against Todoroki's jaw. Todoroki's head snapped around. The taller boy was knocked off his feet and sent flying backwards several feet. Todoroki hit the ground hard and didn't move. The flames on his left side abruptly sputtered out.

Mineta dropped back down behind the taxi, his heart hammering against the inside of his chest. He pressed his back to the overturned car door and clamped trembling hands over his mouth. A scream was bubbling up inside him and he didn't know if he would be able to stifle it. Midoriya just took Todoroki – one of the most powerful students in their class – out like it was nothing! Not to mention Midnight, a pro hero! That monster wearing Midoriya's face and old costume was nothing like the boy Mineta remembered. Did Midoriya know where Mineta was? Did he see him duck behind the taxi before? Maybe if he was able to get his legs moving he could sneak away without Midoriya or any of the other villains seeing. Maybe…

The creak of twisted metal shifting sounded behind Mineta. He looked over his shoulder just as the overturned taxi he leaned against was lifted off the ground and almost casually tossed aside. It sailed across the street and smashed through the front plate-glass window of a convenience store.

Standing over him, the flames from the train station framing him like hellfire, was Midoriya.

"Hello, Mineta. Long time no see."

The seemingly friendly greeting coupled with the bloodthirsty look in Midoriya's eyes chilled Mineta to the bone. Midoriya's crazed grin widened.

Mineta felt his bowels turn to ice water. He instinctively tried to scramble backwards from the other boy but Midoriya's arm shot out and grabbed him. Fisting the front of Mineta's costume, Midoriya effortlessly lifted the smaller boy off the ground. He pulled Mineta close until they were almost nose to nose. This close up Mineta realized a spray of fine blood droplets streaked one side of Midoriya's face. It was probably from when he'd punched Todoroki out. Energy crackled down the length of Midoriya's right arm. His fist drew back in a punch. "I'm going to see how far I can make you fly," he smiled.

Mineta desperately clawed at the steel-like fingers gripping his shirt but he might as well have been trying to dig through concrete with a toothbrush.

Looking into Midoriya's eyes, Mineta knew with a sudden, terrifying certainty that he was about to die. Another wave of energy ran down Midoriya's arm. Mineta clenched his eyes shut, unwilling to be witness to his own death.

An explosion followed immediately by a blast of suffocatingly hot air burst somewhere just behind Midoriya.

Mineta opened his eyes to see that Midoriya had lowered his arm and was looking over his shoulder in the direction of the explosion.

"You bastard! You should have come at me first! I'm the one you should be paying attention to!" Bakugo screamed, stalking across the rubble-strewn street.

Midoriya's grip on Mineta loosened and the smaller boy hit the ground at Midoriya's feet.

"Kacchan," Midoriya grinned, turning towards the approaching boy. He sounded excited. The gleam of madness in his eyes shined brighter.

Mineta sat there, stunned by the sudden turn of events.

"Don't worry," Midoriya said, sparing Mineta a parting glance. "I'll be back for you later."

As Mineta watched Midoriya go to meet Bakugo in the middle of the street, the dam inside Mineta finally broke and he dissolved into a shaking mess of frightened tears.

* * *

By some miracle, Uraraka and Bakugo had managed to hold back the eight-limbed Nomu. Between Bakugo's fire attacks and Uraraka's anti-gravity they had somehow not been killed. It was weird, Uraraka thought as she looked back on the fight, she and Bakugo had actually made a pretty good team. While Bakugo distracted the monster with one of his nitro-blasts, she had been able to dart in close enough to brush her fingers against the side of the Nomu's leg and send him spinning off the ground. The monster thrashed uselessly in the air – out of the way and unable to pursue any other attacks against them.

As Uraraka focused on keeping the struggling monster airborne, she suddenly realized that Bakugo was no longer by her side. She only realized where he was when she heard the explosion and his angry challenge to their missing classmate.

"Bakugo, no!" Uraraka screamed.

She might as well have said nothing because Bakugo wasn't listening. The hot head's attention was focused entirely on Midoriya.

Uraraka gritted her teeth. She couldn't go after him. With the Nomu suspended in the air she couldn't risk breaking her hold. It had only been by sheer luck that she'd managed to snag it with her quirk. Until more heroes showed up, Bakugo was on his own.

"So you're a villain now, is that it?" Bakugo shouted as he stalked across the street. "You always said you wanted to be a hero, Deku! If you still want to be one you'd better snap out of it right now, or so help me gods, I'm going to smash your head so hard against the ground I'm going to _make_ you remember who you really are!"

Midoriya grinned. "I guess I'm just as useless as you always said, Kacchan." His eyes flashed mockingly in the firelight.

With a howl, Bakugo charged Midoriya. Midoriya met him head on. The ground shook with the impact of their simultaneous explosion and punch. Through the shifting veils of smoke, Uraraka saw Bakugo thrown backwards. His right gauntlet had been shattered.

Before Bakugo could fully recover, Midoriya was on him again. This time he swiped an energy-laced leg at the other boy's head. Somehow, Bakugo managed to dodge and hurriedly backpedaled. Even from a distance, Uraraka saw the first hint of uncertainty flash across the blonde's face. Although quickly masked, Uraraka was sure Bakugo was beginning to realize what kind of perilous situation he was in. Midoriya was incredibly fast and his attacks devastatingly strong. If that kick had connected, Uraraka was sure Midoriya would have taken Bakugo's head off his shoulders. This Midoriya was not the same boy they had known two months ago. It was obvious that Midoriya outclassed Bakugo now in both speed and sheer strength.

Midoriya lunged at Bakugo again, this time with a punch. Bakugo instinctively raised his left arm to block. Midoriya's fist crumpled the side of his other gauntlet like it was made out of flimsy cardboard. It fell in pieces to the ground between the two boys.

Midoriya whipped his other fist at Bakugo's face. Bakugo twisted his body to the side. The punch just grazed his face but it was still enough to send Bakugo staggering backwards. He seemed momentarily dazed. Faster than Uraraka's eyes could track, Midoriya's hand shot out, gripped Bakugo by his throat and slammed him into the ground. She felt the shockwave of the move vibrate through the concrete underneath her feet.

Bakugo lay on his back in a deep crater. Grinning madly, Midoriya straddled the dazed boy's chest with his knees digging into his shoulders. He leaned forward and grabbed both of Bakugo's wrists and held them immobile on either side of Bakugo's head.

"You fucker! Get off me!"

"Oh, Kacchan. Stop being so charming. We're only starting to have fun…"

"Deku, get the hell off me!"

Explosions danced across Bakugo's palms but they did nothing to dislodge the other boy from overtop him. Bakugo's futile struggles only seemed to make Midoriya grin wider. As Uraraka watched in a horrified trance, energy crackled across Midoriya's hand and a soft, almost muted snap rang out across the devastated remains of the street.

A cold chill ran down the length of Uraraka's spine at the shriek of pain Bakugo let out as he stared at the shattered remains of his right index finger.

Midoriya gave a low chuckle. "That was fun, Kacchan. Let's do that again."

There was another crackle of energy across Midoriya's hand followed by another scream from Bakugo.

"You know, Kacchan," Midoriya mused over the other boy's ragged breathing. "I've always wanted in some way to get back at you for all those years you bullied me in middle school."

Another snap of breaking phalanges and metacarpals.

Bakugo howled in helpless, agonized fury. Bakugo visibly tried to twist his body to dislodge Midoriya but he might as well have been a mouse trying to toss a cat from him.

Another snap and a scream.

"I just never acknowledged how much I wanted to until now."

Another crack.

All five of Bakugo's fingers on his right hand were broken. They hung limp from his knuckles in different directions. With a queasy lurch, Uraraka was reminded of used twisty ties from a bread package. Bakugo's breathing was uneven and labored. His eyes were bright with barely contained agony.

"It's freeing really," Midoriya chuckled. The psychotic gleam in his eyes shined brighter. "I just needed someone to show me how to be my best self. I bet you never thought you'd ever be at the mercy of someone like me."

With a sharp twist, Midoriya corkscrewed Bakugo's hand around so that it faced the opposite direction the human body was designed to move.

The scream that erupted from Bakugo was unlike anything Uraraka had ever heard before. It was horrifying. It made her sick to her stomach. This was nothing but wonton torture. This wasn't anything like the sweet Midoriya she remembered. What did those villains do to him to turn him into such a heartless monster?

Bakugo uselessly writhed under Midoriya. His shattered hand hung backwards over his forearm. How he was still conscious was a mystery to Uraraka.

Midoriya looked at Bakugo's other hand.

"Let's see how many more bones I can break before the pros gets here. The average person has 206."

A visible look of panic washed over Bakugo. What little color remained in his face drained away.

"D-don't… Don't you dare," Bakugo ground out between gritted teeth.

Midoriya grinned. His eyes gleamed in the shadows of his overlong bangs. His thumb moved underneath Bakugo's left index finger. Veins of gold-shot energy raced through his hand.

"Unhand young Bakugo right now!" a loud voice rang out over the crackle of fire and distant screams.

Midoriya looked back over his shoulder. His deranged Cheshire grin curled almost to the corners of his eyes.

"All Might," he greeted with a purr. "Finally."

 _To Be Continued_

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Reviews are always welcome.

Thanks for reading.

-LAXgirl


	3. Go Back to Sleep

Greetings! So after a long hiatus I finally found time to circle back and bang out a new chapter.

***I know it's a bit redundant but if you've come this far in this story would you please be so kind as to drop me a review at the end of this chapter and let me know what you think? Good or bad I love hearing from my readers. It's the only form of reward we fanfic writers get. If you have any questions I'd be happy to reply.

Thanks again for reading!

 **Chapter Three: Go Back to Sleep**

All Might leaped from one rooftop onto the next. His cape snapped behind him in the wind. In the distance, fire rose above the dark silhouette of rooftops. Plumes of thick smoke billowed hundreds of feet into the night air. Even from almost half a kilometer away All Might could smell the acrid smoke. He and his patrol team had received Uraraka's distress signal several minutes ago. If it was just him, All Might would have already been at the train station. Three, maybe even four, power leaps would have immediately brought him to the scene of the explosion. But he wasn't alone. His student patrol was with him. For as fast and agile as Iida and Asui were they would never have been able to keep up with him bounding across the city as he normally would.

That didn't mean he wasn't pushing them to keep up though. All Might was determined to be one of the first response teams at the train station. It was taking every ounce of self-control he had not to speed ahead and just leave his students behind. They had to hurry. Uraraka had said the attack was by the League of Villains. He _had_ to get there and stop them.

In the wake of Izuku Midoriya's death, All Might had made it his mission to see that the League of Villains was permanently taken down. "Revenge" was too strong and selfish of a word to describe the emotion that drove him. He was All Might – the Symbol of Peace. Revenge was something that went against everything he stood for. Revenge was something born from anger and hatred. Even if a tiny, secret part of him deep, deep down wanted to mete out violence in retaliation for his student's untimely death, he would never let himself stoop to such a base instinct. Midoriya would have been disappointed in him if he did.

But there was no denying his newfound obsession for dismantling the League. It was because of the League of Villains that his student Midoriya – and with him One For All – had been taken away from the world. It was because of them there would be no new Symbol of Peace after him. It was because of them the power that had been cultivated and passed down for numerous generations was no more. All that remained of One For All was a smoldering residue of it in his own declining body. With what little time he had left before those dying embers faded away he had to make sure the League took no more innocent lives. Ending the League of Villains was his only mission in life now.

It had been extremely difficult to find meaning in the days immediately after Midoriya's death. He had locked himself away from the rest of the world for almost a week. All Might hadn't been able to bear the thought of facing packs of hungry reporters or appearing in public. How was he supposed to put on a smiling face when all he wanted to do was find a dark corner where he could be alone and cry? All he'd been able to think about was losing Midoriya. Although he would never admit it to anyone out loud, he'd come to see the boy as a son. He still remembered meeting the scrawny little bookworm what felt like half a lifetime ago. Thinking about how far the boy had come since then just made those memories even more painful. All Might had had such hope for Midoriya. He'd reminded All Might so much of himself at that age – an idealistic quirkless kid who only wanted to make the world a better place.

Even though All Might knew there was nothing he could have done to directly prevent Midoriya's death – who could have foreseen a busy shopping mall becoming a slaughterhouse on a Saturday afternoon? – he couldn't shake the feeling that Midoriya's death was somehow his fault. He'd gifted the boy with an incredibly precious gift. It had been his responsibility to protect Midoriya. He should have been keeping a closer eye on the boy outside of school. They all knew the League was gaining power and making plans. Was there something else he could have said or done that could have better prepared Midoriya for such an attack?

The could-haves and might-have-beens literally made All Might sick to his stomach.

Because he'd not only let down his protégé. He'd also let down his predecessors - the long line of previous holders of One For All. He knew that when the day finally came when the Symbol of Peace disappeared from the world and he crossed over to whatever waited for him on the other side, he would have to answer to them for his failure.

It was these and so many other thoughts that haunted him in the days after the shopping mall attack. It had only been Gran Torino the day before Midoriya's memorial service who finally dragged him out of mourning. The old hero had burst into his home with little reverence to his grief and all but physically _forced_ him to listen.

"The boy is gone, Toshinori. It's not a pleasant thought, but it's the truth. And you sitting here alone in the dark isn't going to bring him back."

"I should have done something… I could have-"

"There was nothing you could have done. There were no warnings the League was going to attack that shopping mall. It wasn't your fault the boy died."

"But it's not just Midoriya," All Might sorrowfully croaked. "One For All is gone too. I don't have enough power left to pass it on to someone else. Midoriya was the new holder. When he died One For All disappeared too. It's _gone_. There's no possibility of there being a new Symbol of Peace after me. It's all just _gone_."

Gran released a heavy sigh, staring at the disheveled wretch his former student had become. "So that's it then? You're just going to give up?"

"What do you mean?"

"The boy is gone. One For All is gone. But does that mean the idea of Heroes and Justice is gone too? Those ideals were around long before All Might or even One For All existed. You might not be able to give someone else your power, but does that mean you can't help mold a new generation of heroes that can carry on what you stand for? Don't you owe it to that boy to continue working so that his death wasn't meaningless? Do you think Nana would have wanted you to just give up now? You just took a hit – a big one, admittedly – but that doesn't mean you have nothing left to offer those still here."

Call Gran what you will – tough, gruff, and maybe even a bit insensitive at times – but he'd always had a way of snapping All Might back to where he needed to be. If it hadn't been for his old mentor All Might was pretty sure he'd still be in his house wallowing in despair right now. That talk had been his turning point. He'd pulled himself together after that and found the strength to force a smile on his face (even if it had felt hollow) to attend Midoriya's memorial service. That wasn't to say he still didn't have moments when he was alone, away from the weight of prying eyes, that the sting of his loss didn't creep up on him and he was unable to completely stem the flow of tears. But at least now he had a new mission. He would continue to help train a new generation of heroes. Maybe not with a transferable quirk, but he would do what he could to make sure the idea of a Symbol of Peace would not be lost. He would not let the League of Villains win. For Midoriya, he would keep fighting.

Leaping from the edge of the last rooftop, All Might soared through empty air before landing in the middle of the street below. Asui and Iida followed close behind. A block ahead the gutted remains of the train station stood like a fiery gateway to hell. All Might had seen his share of destruction over the years but even he was momentarily taken aback by the sight that greeted them.

The buildings immediately around the train station were charred black. Several other smaller fires were spreading among themselves. Windows and storefronts along the street were shattered. Glass, twisted metal, and chunks of concrete littered the street. Off to the side, a half-burned taxi protruded from the plate glass window of a convenience store.

"This is so much worse than I was expecting," Iida murmured behind his helmet.

"At least there don't seem to be any civilians in the area," Asui noted.

All Might sincerely hoped the frog girl was right. If there was going to be a battle – as there most certainly was – the less civilians he had to worry about the better.

"Stay sharp," All Might ordered, making a visual assessment of the area. "The League of Villains is here."

Farthest away, closest to the raging inferno, stood two figures. All Might recognized the League's leader, Shigaraki, from the attack at the USJ and numerous intel meetings since. Beside Shigaraki stood the League's warp gate specialist, Kurogiri.

In the half-block between Shigaraki and All Might, Aizawa was fighting a Nomu. Across the street from him Uraraka held another Nomu suspended in the air with her quirk. Off to the side, All Might saw two figures laying motionless on the ground. One of them – Midnight – was slumped against a wall. Above her a deep crater marred the brick wall like a dent. The other figure All Might recognized as Endeavor's son – he'd know that red and white hair anywhere. He couldn't be certain in the flickering light of the fire but he thought he saw a small pool of blood forming underneath Todoroki's head.

Closest to All Might, several meters away, another student lay on his back in a deep impact crater in the middle of the street. It was Bakugo. Another knelt over him, holding Bakugo's hands over him by the wrists. As All Might took in the scene the one overtop Bakugo made a sharp twisting motion with one hand. Bakugo gave a sharp scream of pain that made the hairs on the back of All Might's neck stand on end. It was then that All Might saw the boy's hand silhouetted against the firelight. His hand hung at an unnatural angle from his wrist. Every finger appeared to be pointing a different direction.

"Unhand young Bakugo right now!" he roared at the assailant.

The one above Bakugo went still, then slowly turned towards him. Eyes bright with madness and a psychotic Cheshire grin greeted All Might against a backdrop of flames. "All Might… Finally."

All Might froze, the blood freezing in his veins. Behind him, All Might heard Asui and Iida's own startled gasps. For a split second All Might's trademark grin almost slipped from his face.

There… there was no way this was possible. He almost didn't recognize the boy, but there was no denying who it was!

"Midoriya!" Iida exclaimed. "You're alive!? B-but how?"

The green haired boy ignored Iida. His attention seemed completely focused on All Might.

"I was wondering when you were going to get here, All Might," Midoriya chuckled. His voice was low and dangerous. He slowly got to his feet and stepped out of the crater Bakugo lay in. He hungrily eyed All Might like a predator. "I was starting to get bored playing with Kacchan…"

Behind Midoriya, Bakugo bit back a scream of agony and curled around the twisted remains of his hand. Midoriya didn't even glance at him. He seemed to have already forgotten about the other boy. His attention was riveted on All Might.

All Might fought to try and make sense of what he was seeing. He was still too stunned to try and say anything. The boy he's spent so long believing was dead was here – alive! Yet obviously not the same boy he remembered. The Midoriya he remembered didn't have that psychotic gleam of madness in his eyes or sadistic grin. It was all too much for All Might to comprehend.

A delighted cackle echoed across the devastated remains of the street from Shigaraki. "Are you surprised, All Might?" he called out. "Are you happy to see your little pet again? I thought you would be!"

"All Might!" Aizawa cried from closer to them. He leaped backwards several feet, putting some distance between himself and the genetically altered creature he fought just as the Nomu swiped a clawed hand at his midsection. "This isn't a trick! That really is Midoriya! But they've done something to him! He's not himself! Be careful!"

Before the erasing hero could elaborate in any way, the Nomu gave a frightening screech and lunged at him, forcing his attention back to it.

"He's right," Shigaraki cackled. "The boy's my pet now. He listens to me. It took an awful lot of work but I finally broke him and made him my ultimate weapon against you."

All Might struggled to process everything he was hearing. None of this made sense. How was Midoriya still alive? Why was he fighting with the League? Surely they must have done something awful to the boy to make him choose to fight his friends and classmates.

Finally – years of training and experience kicking in – All Might managed to pull himself together. "Midoriya, I don't know what the League has done to you but I swear on all that is good that I am going to help you."

A mocking laugh erupted from the green-haired boy. "Help me? _**Help**_ me?! You can't help me anymore, All Might. No one can. I'm going to pummel that self-righteous grin right off your face and then tear everyone else here apart."

As if to emphasize his plans, tracks of crackling red energy appeared across Midoriya's face and body. The boy's eyes were wild, his smile manic. Danger radiated off him in physical waves. All Might did not doubt the murderous intent behind Midoriya's threats. The boy was out for blood.

All Might instinctively stepped forward, placing himself as a physical barrier between Midoriya and Iida and Asui behind him.

"All Might," Asui hesitantly croaked. "What should we do?"

All Might didn't dare take his eyes off Midoriya but he could feel the horror bubbling off the students behind him. He understood their feelings too well. To suddenly have their classmate returned from the dead, but as someone they barely even recognized and who seemed to be working with the enemy was a horrifying thought.

All Might fought to keep his voice calm. "You and Iida are to help Aizawa and Uraraka with the Nomu. Then assist with evacuating the injured. Your only mission right now is support and rescue. I will deal with Midoriya. Under no circumstances are you to engage him. If he somehow gets past me, evacuate the area immediately."

"Oh, I was hoping you'd say something like that!" Shigaraki laughed. He held up a small device in one hand. Slowly, as though making a show of it, he depressed the only button on it. "I wanted to give my new toy a good test run."

A small click sounded somewhere behind Midoriya. The waves of energy surrounding him immediately intensified, lashing the air like miniature cyclones. All Might felt the familiar static charge of One For All fill the air. The manic look in Midoriya's eyes sharpened. Saliva frothed in the corners of his mouth like he was a rabid dog. All Might was having trouble connecting the terrifying monster in front of him with the sweet boy he remembered in his mind.

"Asui! Iida! Go! Help deal with the Nomu and get Bakugo and the other injured away."

Iida and Asui obediently snapped to his orders. With a flash of tongue, Asui sprang away towards Uraraka. A low turbine roar built in Iida's legs before he darted away, leaving only a cloud of dust in his wake. He swung wide around Midoriya before zipping in towards the impact crater. Within the blink of an eye, he was gone again, dragging Bakugo with him away from All Might and Midoriya.

Midoriya didn't even seem to register their departure. All his attention was locked on All Might. All Might was admittedly unnerved by Midoriya's unblinking stare. Coupled with his psychotic grin the boy was the living embodiment of madness.

Just _what_ did the League do to him?

"Midoriya, we don't have to fight," All Might tried to reason. The last thing he wanted to do was fight his protégé. "I don't know what the League's done to you but we can help you. _I_ can help you. I swear to you I will do everything in my power to undo whatever they've done to you." He still held onto the belief he could somehow reach the boy he used to know inside this demonic entity.

The energy around Midoriya crackled louder. "I already told you, you can't help me. The League didn't hurt me. _They're_ the ones that helped me. They helped clear my head and focus on what was really wrong with the world. The only important thing right now is bringing you down. Once I do, they promised me I can finally sleep."

With nothing to warn All Might, Midoriya rushed him in a blur of crackling energy. All Might barely managed to raise his arm in time to block a blow to his face Midoriya moved so fast. The shock wave of Midoriya's punch rumbled the ground between them like an earthquake. All Might's forearm shuddered under the blow. Despite the devastating power behind his attack, All Might could tell Midoriya was not fighting with 100% of One For All. He estimated Midoriya's output somewhere around 30%. It wasn't enough to knock All Might back, but it was definitely enough to make All Might widen his defensive stance. Despite the lingering remnants, All Might no longer had the full backing of One For All inside him. Midoriya had it. Even if he didn't know how to fully harness it, Midoriya had a full reservoir of power at his disposal and that made him extremely dangerous.

Using the momentum of his initial attack, Midoriya spun midair, a super-charged leg lashing out at All Might's head.

All Might dodged the kick. He darted backwards away from the train station. He had to try and lure Midoriya away from everyone else. He had to give Aizawa and the other students room to fight the Nomus and get away.

Midoriya followed like a rabid attack hound.

A fist. Then a kick, followed immediately by another fist rained down on All Might. He blocked each attack. His bones shuddered under the impact. He didn't known how it was possible, but Midoriya's attacks felt more honed then he remembered – more powerful and focused.

The shock waves of the blows radiated outwards, shattering windows and cracking concrete. All Might reassessed Midoriya's power closer to 35% of One For All's full strength. How was that possible? Before his supposed death the highest level Midoriya had ever been able to manage without shattering his body was around 20%.

Midoriya fought as if possessed. He darted in and out of All Might's reach. Back and forth, back and forth. In and out, almost taunting him. All Might managed to block a majority of Midoriya's attacks, but several got through his defenses. Buildings shuddered around them. Each blow Midoriya landed felt extremely calculated. In a way, Midoriya's movements reminded All Might of Gran Torino's fighting style. Again and again Midoriya came at him. It was only by sheer chance All Might tracked Midoriya's attack fast enough to deliver a counter blow. His punch caught Midoriya in the side of his face.

Midoriya went flying backwards into the side of a building. All Might took the moment to catch his breath. The boy was fast. Incredibly so. When had he become so fast? All Might could feel his stock of One For All beginning to dwindle. He and his student patrol had been out for several hours. He was beginning to get close to the end of his three hour time limit. Although All Might couldn't say so with absolute certainty, Midoriya appeared to be waging a war of attrition against him. He didn't seem to be fighting to physically overpower him. Even in his deranged state the boy seemed cognizant enough to know he wouldn't win an actual full frontal assault on All Might. He was fighting to constantly chip away at All Might's defenses and deplete his stamina.

All Might silently chastised himself. He'd almost forgotten how smart Midoriya was. He needed to end this soon or he would run out of One For All and be powerless to defend himself.

"Getting tired, All Might?" Midoriya called, eyes ravenous with bloodlust. A thin trail of blood snaked from his nose to his lips where All Might's fist had connected. He didn't even seem to feel it. An unnerving grin split his face, revealing blood stained teeth. Once again, All Might was taken aback by the monstrous change in the once sweet boy he'd taken under his wings.

 _Dammit_. He needed to end this soon. He couldn't continue to fight Midoriya like this. Despite his mental state the boy was fighting smart. He knew all of All Might's weaknesses and would undoubtedly use them against him.

All Might briefly wondered if Midoriya had told the League about any of those weaknesses while he was in their captivity. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to contemplate such a scenario before a new wave of One For All washed over Midoriya. The boy released a murderous howl and lunged at All Might again, renewing their fight.

00000000

"Ochako! Incoming!"

The frog girl appeared beside Uraraka in a blur of green.

"Get ready to release!"

Asui's tongue unfurled from her mouth and snapped towards the incapacitated Nomu floating above Uraraka's head. It wound around the Nomu's ankle. Asui pulled her head back and snapped it to the side, flinging the Nomu away up over the surrounding buildings.

"Now!"

With a shuddery gasp, Uraraka let her hands drop to her side. "Release!"

The Nomu gave a fearsome screech as it sailed away out of sight over the buildings.

Uraraka almost fell to her knees at the rush of nausea that assaulted her. For a moment she was sure she was going to vomit.

Asui studied her face worriedly. "You okay, Ochako?"

"Yea," Uraraka weakly assured her. She swallowed against the bile in the back of her throat. "You got here just in time. For a second I thought I was going to drop my quirk and have an angry Nomu fall on my head."

A sudden rumble beneath their feet made both girls look in the same direction. All Might and Midoriya were going head to head farther down the street. Shock waves shook the ground. Gusts of debris-filled wind whipped their faces from the intensity of the super-powered blows being exchanged.

"Asui! Uraraka! Over here!" Iida's voice shouted over the concussion thumps of All Might and Midoriya's fists.

Uraraka squinted against the hail of debris to see Iida waving at them from across the street. He had ducked into a side street branching off the main road that led to the train station. By his feet, Bakugo sat propped against the side of a building. Uraraka wasn't sure if Bakugo was conscious or not.

Down the main street All Might and Midoriya were a chaotic blur of motion. They moved so fast Uraraka could barely make out who was who. She imagined this was what a battle between gods looked like. Shielding her face against flying debris, Uraraka hurried across the street towards Iida. Asui followed.

Ducking into the side street, the girls huddled against the side of the building out of the wind next to Iida, breathing hard. The brick wall shook against their backs with the force of All Might and Midoriya's fight.

"H-how is this possible?" Iida wondered out loud as another concussion wave rippled down the main street. His voice was one of stunned shock.

"Is that really Midoriya?" Asui croaked. "I thought he'd been killed…"

"No. That's Deku, alright," a weak growl sounded from below. Bakugo sat with his head tilted back against the wall. "The nerd's still alive…" Bakugo clutched his crushed hand to his chest. He was visibly trembling with pain. How he was awake Uraraka had no idea. The amount of pain he was in had to be incredible. There was also a feverish glint in his eyes.

 _He must be going into shock_ , Uraraka realized with a lurch in her stomach that had nothing to do with overusing her quirk.

Asui seemed overwhelmed. "But why's he attacking All Might? Why is he working with the League of Villains?"

"Because they've turned him into a goddamn monster, that's why!" Bakugo snarled between gritted teeth. He glared up at them with feverish eyes of hellfire. "They kidnapped and brainwashed him! Just look at what he did to me! Do you think that nerd would ever attack us like that if the League hadn't done something to scramble his brains like an egg?!'

"Whatever they've done to him we can't risk getting caught between him and All Might," Iida darkly announced. "After seeing what Midoriya did to Bakugo I get the feeling he wouldn't hesitate to attack us as well. And… while I am hesitant to admit it, if Midoriya is able to keep pace with All Might like this I doubt any of us would be much of a challenge to him…"

As if to emphasize Iida's observation, another concussion wave of power thundered down the main street from the battling titans. The buildings shook around them. Several windows exploded in a shower of broken glass. The four huddled tighter against the wall. A chill went down the Uraraka's spine. She knew Midoriya's quirk gave him unnatural strength, but it startled her how closely matched he seemed against All Might – the strongest hero in the world! How could heroes like her or her classmates ever hope to defend themselves if he somehow got past All Might?

"We can't just stay here," Asui said. "Mr. Aizawa is still fighting that last Nomu. And we still need to get Bakugo and the other injured away."

"I don't need anyone's help getting out of here!" Bakugo snarled. Any intimidation was lost behind the pained warble in his voice. The way he slumped and trembled against the wall also belied his protests.

Uraraka took a deep breath to focus her thoughts. "Ok. So what should we-?"

An inhuman screech cut her off. Like a charging bull, the last Nomu appeared at the head of the side street. It clawed at its head, swinging its body wildly back and forth. Perched on the monster's massive shoulders was Aizawa. How he had gotten up there, Uraraka could only imagine. Their teacher had his capture weapon wrapped around the creature's head. The beast roared underneath the coils of cloth-like alloy blinding it. Massive hands swiped at its head as if it were trying to swat away a fly, but it couldn't quite seem to reach Aizawa.

The four students could only watch in stunned awe as their teacher dodged the creature's claws – all the while keeping his footing on the creature's shoulders. Using the ends of his capture weapon like reins, Aizawa savagely pulled the left side back which forced the Nomu's head down towards its shoulder. The monster seemed to lose its balance and staggered sharply into the building directly across the street from the four teenagers.

The Nomu hit the wall hard, going face-first into the bricks. The wall crumbled inward under the weight. Uraraka felt the impact reverberate across the street and underneath her feet. Aizawa leaped from the Nomu's shoulders and landed in a graceful crouch in the middle of the street. The Nomu fell to its knees with its head still half buried in the wall. It struggled for a moment as though trying to force itself back to its feet before finally going still.

Aizawa continued to stare at the genetically altered monster for several more moments, unconvinced it was actually down. Finally, with a weary huff, the erasing hero let his shoulders relax. He reclaimed his capture weapon from the unconscious beast with a sharp flick of his wrist and returned it to its rightful place around his neck.

"Mr. Aizawa!" Asui called. "Are you alright?"

Aizawa turned towards them. Although slightly battered around the edges, the erasing hero did not appear to have any visible injuries. "I'm fine," he murmured. Bloodshot eyes swept over them. As he did the sound of super-powered shock waves reverberated down the main street. Even from a distance All Might and Midoriya's fight sounded like a barrage of heavy artillery fire.

"You four need to get out of here. It's not safe."

"Mr. Aizawa, why is Deku fighting All Might like this?" Uraraka demanded, desperate for some sort of explanation for what was going on. "He's always looked up to All Might as his favorite hero."

Aizawa shook his head. "The League's obviously done something to him. He sees us as his enemies right now. Until we can figure out what they've done to him and undo it we have to treat Midoriya as though he's a villain."

The four teens froze at the word.

A villain?

The sick feeling in Uraraka's stomach returned. No. There was no way she could think of her friend as a villain. Midoriya was _not_ a villain!

Aizawa dug into the folds of his capture weapon and wrestled his eye guards free. Settling them over his face, the erasing hero glanced back at his students. "Todoroki and Midnight still need recovered. Iida, you're the fastest. I want you to get them back here and then all of you are to evacuate the area as quickly as possible. I sent Mineta ahead to resend a distress call. Support teams and emergency crews should be on their way. Get Bakugo and the other injured to them."

"What about you, sir?" Iida worriedly asked.

Aizawa adjusted his goggles over his nose. "I'm going to try and help All Might deal with Midoriya."

00000000

All Might dodged a kick and immediately swung his forearm up just in time to block a punch to the face. Midoriya released a feral growl. Energy crackled the air around him as if it were an outward manifestation of his hatred. All Might swung a fist at the boy's head. Midoriya sprang backwards before All Might could connect. He barely touched the ground before he was coming at All Might again. He moved so fast All Might could barely track his movements.

He didn't dare take his attention away from Midoriya for even a second to see how the other students and Aizawa were fairing. The boy was too fast to take such a risk. It was taking everything All Might had just to keep blocking Midoriya's attacks. Even a split second distraction would be all it took for Midoriya to take advantage.

All Might couldn't take any risks. He could feel his reserve of One For All dwindling. The end of his time limit was getting close. He had to find a way to end this soon.

Midoriya darted at All Might, moving low to the ground. All Might instinctively turned his body to the side to minimize the strike zone and lashed a fist out towards Midoriya right as the boy came up with a punch of his own towards All Might's midsection. All Might's fist connected first.

Midoriya went flying backwards into the side of a building. The impact drove Midoriya through the brick wall and into the dark store space beyond. All Might took the brief reprieve to catch his breath. His body was noticeably slowing down. He had to end this soon. He didn't know how much longer he had before One For All gave out on him.

Like a crazed demon emerging from a cave, Midoriya appeared in the jagged hole of the decimated storefront. His psychotic grin still split his face, almost as if he were mocking All Might with it. The boy didn't even appear fazed after being sent flying through the side of a building. Anyone else without One For All or some other power-enhancing quirk would have been left crippled by such a blow. Even All Might was sure he would have been momentarily stunned. But Midoriya seemed oblivious to any sort of pain or fatigue. The only thing All Might saw in Midoriya's eyes was bloodlust.

'He's quite something, isn't he?" Shigaraki's voice tauntingly drifted to them from down the block. He still stood by the train station with Kurogiri close beside him like a silent sentinel. "I can see why you took such an interest in the boy. Shame he's going to be the reason for your death. Let's amp this fight up a little bit more. It looks like you still have some fight in you the brat needs to beat out."

Out of the corner of his eye, All Might saw Shigaraki depress the button on the device he held. Like before, All Might heard a muffled click from behind Midoriya. The storm of energy around Midoriya suddenly intensified. As the streaks of red cowled Midoriya in a shroud of pure energy he bent forward, one hand clutching at his chest. His hair fell forward. Between the overlong locks of green hair All Might caught the glint of a metallic device attached to the back of Midoriya's neck.

Was that what the League was using to control Midoriya? Was that what was giving Midoriya these strange power boosts and amplifying One For All?

All Might had no time to ponder these possibilities. With energy crackling off him in visible waves, Midoriya let out a savage howl that sent a chill down All Might's spine. The buildings on either side of the street shuddered. Windows shattered under the onslaught of raw power.

Like a feral monster, Midoriya rushed All Might. Blows rained down around All Might from all directions. The boy was nothing but a green and white blur, darting in and out of All Might's reach. There was a new sting behind each blow All Might blocked that hadn't been there before. Whatever Shigaraki just did to Midoriya seemed to have pushed Midoriya onto a new fighting level. Although still devastatingly powerful and well aimed, Midoriya's attacks felt more wild than before. In a way, Midoriya reminded All Might of a Nomu now – a mindless attack beast.

It was getting harder to keep up with Midoriya's attacks. Midoriya fought as if possessed, never giving All Might a chance to counterattack. He was just so _fast_.

Without warning, Midoriya swung a wild haymaker punch at All Might's face. All Might didn't even have time to try blocking it it came at him so fast. In the half second it took for All Might to realize his mistake, he braced himself for the blow. However, when Midoriya's knuckles connected with All Might's jaw All Might was startled by the complete _lack_ of strength behind it. Even with only his dwindling store of One For All, All Might would have said the blow felt like little more than a sharp slap to his cheek – not a punch that could level buildings. He might have only been imagining it, but he thought he actually heard the bones in Midoriya's hand crunch under the pressure.

Midoriya seemed just as startled and hastily sprung backwards away from All Might, growling like a beast.

It was only then that All Might noticed the lack of churning energy around Midoriya. The tracks of bright red energy of Full Cowl had disappeared from his face and limbs.

What happened? One minute Midoriya was coming at him with the full intent of killing him and the next One For All was gone. Almost as if-!

All Might swung around and did a quick scan of the area. There, several meters away, All Might spotted Aizawa near the storefront he'd sent Midoriya flying through just a few minutes ago. Aizawa's hair floated around his face. His eyes glowed red as he stared down his former student.

"Kurogiri!" Shigaraki screamed. "Get him! I don't want any interferences! This fight is between the brat and All Might!"

A swirling black warp gate appeared in front of Aizawa, forcing him to break his gaze and scramble away into the rubble of the gaping storefront.

Energy once again crackled to life around Midoriya. With a savage howl, the boy charged All Might.

A flurry of brutal blows rained down on All Might. There was no longer any strategy or finesse to the boy's attacks. His sole goal seemed to be hammering through All Might's defenses.

Then, just as suddenly as it happened before, Midoriya's blows lost their strength. The energy around him disappeared like a flame being blown out. All Might didn't know where Aizawa was but he knew the erasing hero had the boy in his sights again.

"Enough of this! Finish him, brat!" Shigaraki screamed. He began to wildly press the control device's button. "Kurogiri! Stop Eraserhead! NOW!"

The clicks coming from Midoriya's neck sounded like morse code Shigaraki was pressing the control button so fast. Midoriya threw his head back and released a monstrous roar.

More warp gates sprung into existence around them. A storm of energy once again engulfed Midoriya. Like a super-powered bullet train he charged All Might.

All Might was almost thrown off his feet Midoriya barreled into him so fast. Whatever Shigaraki had done to Midoriya had amplified the viciousness of his attacks several times over. The power behind Midoriya's punches was even stronger than before. All Might estimated his power usage now around 50% of One For All's full strength. But the wildness of his attacks detracted from the overall effect. Despite his weakening state, All Might was able to sneak several of his own blows through Midoriya's defenses. The boy barely seemed to feel them.

The energy around Midoriya once again disappeared. Midoriya was so strung out on whatever Shigaraki had injected him with he didn't seem cognizant of anything else except mindlessly attacking All Might – with or without the backing of his quirk.

All Might sprang on the opening Aizawa just gave him. Ducking underneath a punch to the face, All Might grappled Midoriya and spun the teen around into a bear hug. Midoriya screamed and thrashed in All Might's grip. All Might gripped him tight. If Midoriya got away from him he might not get the same opportunity again.

Somehow, All Might managed to find the edges of the device on the back of Midoriya's neck with one hand. Midoriya thrashed against him in blind fury. With a vicious twist All Might ripped the device from Midoriya's neck and threw it aside. Midoriya howled with rage. Blood splattered the front of All Might's costume.

More warp gates appeared in All Might's peripheral vision. He thought he saw the blurred outline of Aizawa darting away again like a ninja.

One For All came roaring back to Midoriya with the full force of a tsunami. All Might felt like he'd just been transported into the middle of a tornado.

He desperately tightened his hold on Midoriya.

The boy clawed at All Might's forearms. Screaming in unbridled fury, Midoriya balled his left hand into the palm of his right and viscously drove his elbow back into All Might's left side – right where a massive gnarl of scar tissue covered All Might's ribs and stomach. The concrete between them buckled under the shock wave. All Might's grip on Midoriya almost faltered. Spots danced across the Symbol of Peace's vision. Midoriya pulled his arm back and buried his elbow into All Might's side again. The force of the blow shook All Might all the way down to his skeleton. The taste of blood rose in the back of his mouth.

He should have known that even in his drug-addled frenzy Midoriya would think to target his weakest point.

It took all of All Might's strength not to lose his grip on Midoriya. Midoriya pulled his elbow back again. But this time when it connected with All Might's side there was no superhuman force behind it. Aizawa had caught him in his quirk again.

All Might shifted his grip on the struggling teen so that one arm caught him across the throat in a choke hold. He squeezed.

Midoriya's struggles became frantic. He thrashed back and forth in All Might's arms. Fingers viciously clawed at All Might's forearm. His howls of rage became gurgled grunts.

"I'm so sorry," All Might whispered. He struggled to keep his grip on the boy. "But you have to go to sleep now."

"No!" Shigaraki screamed from somewhere behind them. "Kill him! Don't you dare lose, brat!"

Very slowly – agonizingly so - All Might felt the tension in Midoriya's body relax and drain away. The hands clawing at his arms stilled, then slowly dropped away to swing limp by Midoriya's sides. He felt Midoriya slump unconscious against his chest. All Might released the tension on Midoriya's throat. The boy remained dead weight in his arms. Carefully hugging Midoriya close All Might lowered them both to the ground. He knelt there in the middle of the demolished street, hurting and sore. His breath was coming in short painful gasps. His time limit was almost up. He cradled Midoriya's upper body to him. The boy's head hung over his elbow. Unconsciousness had softened his rabid features. Like this All Might could almost see the boy he once knew again in that face.

"NOOOOO!" Shigaraki screamed from the direction of the burning train station.

For a split second, in the wake of his victory, All Might had almost forgotten about Shigaraki. He wearily tore his gaze from Midoriya to regard the League of Villain's leader. He didn't say anything. He hoped the dark set of his expression was enough to let Shigaraki know who he blamed for his student's current state. His ever-present smile felt, even to himself, like an angry snarl.

"Impossible," Shigaraki spat, visibly shaking with rage. "Impossible! I trained that brat to kill you! He was my ultimate weapon!"

"Shigaraki," Kurogiri darkly intoned. "The boy is defeated. It is time for us to retreat." A black warp gate appeared behind them.

Shigaraki hesitated, glaring murder at All Might from between the fingers of the disembodied hand on his face. Even from a distance, All Might could feel the villain's rage radiating from him. Snarling behind his face hand, Shigaraki threw the useless control device away on the ground.

"Don't think for a second you've actually won, All Might," he warned with a snarl. The warp gate grew and began to swallow the two villains in a tunnel of darkness. "The boy's mind still belongs to me. I'll be back for him. And when I do I'm going to sic him on you. But next time he's going to finish the job."

The warp gate closed around them and shrunk away out of existence.

All Might released a shaky breath he hadn't even been aware he'd been holding. Fire continued to crackle in the gutted remains of the train station, but in the wake of battle the sound seemed strangely muted and far, far away. The only thing he could truly focus on was the faint rustle of Midoriya's breath against his chest and the sluggish thump of the boy's heartbeat under his hand.

As he knelt there, the full magnitude of everything that just happened came crashing down on All Might.

Midoriya was still alive. He was right there in his arms. By some miraculous turn of events the Universe had returned the boy to him.

But he was not the Midoriya All Might knew. Whatever the League of Villains had done to him had warped the sweet young boy he'd come to see as a son into something monstrous and nearly unrecognizable.

So consumed by these thoughts, All Might only shook himself back to the present when he felt a hand land heavily on his shoulder. He wearily craned his head back to see Aizawa standing beside him. The erasing hero's gaze was on the unconscious boy in All Might's arms. Although his quirk wasn't currently activated All Might could tell by Aizawa's body language he was ready to spring back onto the offensive at the slightly hint of movement from Midoriya.

For a moment Aizawa said nothing, as if he too were struggling to come to terms with his student's unexpected resurrection. Finally, heaving a heavy sigh, Aizawa pulled his capture weapon away from his neck.

"Come on. We have to get Midoriya secure before he wakes up. Rescue teams are in route." Somewhere in the distance the warble of approaching police sirens and emergency vehicles began to grow.

All Might wordlessly nodded. Aizawa was right. If Midoriya woke up All Might didn't think he would be able to take him on again in his current state. Midoriya had truly beat it out of him. If Aizawa hadn't been there to nullify the worst of One For All, All Might wasn't completely sure he would have been able to subdue the boy. Fighting Midoriya had been like fighting a force of nature. In the aftermath, he felt utterly beat and exhausted. But not just his body. His soul as well. The months since Midoriya's supposed death had been difficult. He'd spent so long wishing he could somehow bring the boy back. So to suddenly have him back in this deranged, animalistic state made All Might feel like he'd been given emotional whiplash.

Aizawa finished coiling his capture weapon around the motionless body. With a sharp snap of his wrist he pulled it close, securing Midoriya in a tight cocoon. Midoriya didn't stir. All Might gently pulled Midoriya back into his arms. He felt an indescribable urge to keep the boy close. No matter what the League had done to him Midoriya was still his protégé. He would protect him until they were able to reverse whatever the League had done to him.

The sirens were getting closer. Somewhere overhead he thought he heard the thump of approaching helicopter blades.

Hugging the boy close, All Might sent a silent prayer to the Universe for strength. They might have won this battle, but All Might couldn't help but feel like the war was just beginning…

Please, please, please let me know what you thought? Should I continue with this story?


	4. Poisoned Devil

I hope this new chapter finds everyone safe and healthy. Given the lockdown measures currently in place against the coronavirus I was able to get a new chapter out much faster than expected. I hope this update will be a small spot of happiness in everyone's quarantine.

 **Poisoned Devil**

It didn't matter how many times All Might had visited Tartarus over the years, he'd never gotten used to the place. The maximum security prison sat like a black monolith on a desolate volcanic island off the coast of mainland Japan. The only thing that connected it to the rest of civilization was a bridge guarded on both sides by security guards and high-powered weapons. It was where they locked away the worst of the worst criminals. Once sentenced to Tartarus, those who went inside were never seen again.

Even though All Might had always visited as an agent of Justice, he was not immune to the prison's oppressive presence. As soon as the gates closed behind him it felt like he was being swallowed into a world completely separate from everything outside Tartarus's concrete walls. Whoever had designed Tartarus had done an impressive job. Everything about the prison was meant to intimidate, oppress, and rob those incarcerated of hope. To date, no one had ever escaped. It was the ultimate Final Stop on a criminal's roadmap of Villainy.

But All Might was not there that day to visit a convicted criminal. He was there to see his former student, Izuku Midoriya.

It had felt almost surreal signing his name in the log book of the prison with Midoriya's name listed in the "inmate" column. Never in a million years would All Might have ever thought his protégé would one day become a guest of Tartarus's hospitality. In the wake of the train station attack, though, that was the only place considered secure enough to hold the boy until they could figure out what to do with him. The boy was ungodly powerful. He'd proven himself a formidable force not to just heroes in general, but to All Might himself as well. All Might had always held Midoriya in high regards, but after trading blows with him that night he saw without a doubt why the League had targeted Midoriya. If it hadn't been for Aizawa and his quirk All Might wasn't sure how that evening would have shaken out.

He had no idea what the League of Villains had done to his former student. But it had to have been thorough to turn him into such a monster.

All Might remembered very little of what happened after he and Aizawa subdued Midoriya. The arrival of police, emergency response teams, and other pro heroes was a complete blur. It had only been when his old friend Naomasa Tsukauchi appeared beside him in the middle of that demolished street that All Might was able to tear his attention away from Midoriya and focus on anything else. They had moved quickly from there: Tsukauchi spiriting him, Aizawa, and Midoriya away into a waiting police van. Almost as soon as the doors had closed behind them All Might finally lost his grip on his remaining store of One For All and withered into his scarecrow-like form. That hadn't caused him to loosen his hold on his unconscious student, though. If anything, All Might's grip on Midoriya became even tighter. He'd held the boy the entire way to Tartarus.

It was only when they arrived at the prison gates that All Might finally allowed Midoriya to be taken away from him. He didn't know exactly where they were taking the boy, but he'd been assured they were going to make sure he couldn't hurt himself or anyone else. Aizawa had gone with the prison staff and Midoriya. Given his quirk-erasing ability, he was one of the best qualified to remain with Midoriya in case the boy woke up and became violent again.

That had been several hours ago. Calls had to be made, official statements given, specialists called in for help. Those things were all routine for a hero in the aftermath of such a battle. All Might knew the drill and had gone through all of it as if on autopilot. He felt as if he were going through the motions in a daze. All he could think about was Midoriya and the incredible way in which the boy had been returned to them. Everything else beyond that was just background noise. All Might vaguely remembered Tsukauchi urging him to seek medical attention for his injuries at one point, but All Might had only waved his concerns away. There were more important things to think about right now than himself.

All Might currently navigated the inner bowels of Tartarus with Tsukauchi and Principle Nezu by his sides. One of the first calls All Might had made after handing Midoriya off to Tartarus's staff was to call the school to tell them about their resurrected student's return. Principle Nezu, as expected, had dropped everything to rush to the prison. For those that didn't know UA's principle he was nothing if not dedicated to his students and extremely possessive of them. All Might could only guess what kind of press nightmare Midoriya's return would mean for the school once more of the dust settled. It made sense Nezu would want to get ahead of everything now.

Finally, after hours of paperwork, statements, and bureaucratic red-tape, they'd been given the go-ahead by prison staff to see Midoriya as a preliminary interrogation with Tsukauchi there to act as an official representative of law enforcement.

"Thank you again for inviting me to this interrogation," Nezu said to Tsukauchi as they navigated the empty white hallways of the prison. "I know this is a very… unique situation. As principle of UA high school I feel it is my duty to be here to see what happens next for our student."

Tsukauchi nodded. "We currently have the media in the dark on the details of the attack. All they know right now is that the League was responsible and that All Might was on the scene. Details about who exactly All Might was fighting are being kept quiet for the moment."

"What about the patrol students?" All Might asked as they walked. "Did the press get their hands on them yet?"

Tsukauchi shook his head. "No. We managed to place police officers on them as soon as support forces arrived on scene. Those that were injured were taken to the hospital. Initial reports are giving the injured good chances of recovery. Midnight was still in surgery the last time I got an update – broken ribs, internal bleeding, and a ruptured spleen, but she should make it out okay. From what Aizawa said, that was all from just one punch from Midoriya. Endeavor's son came out with a broken nose and jaw. Also has a pretty bad concussion, but he should make a full recovery. Worst seems to be the second student patrol member, Bakugo. All the fingers on his right hand were crushed. Wrist and forearm suffered multiple compound spiral fractures. He's going to have a long recovery and rehabilitation ahead of him before he's able to use that hand again… The other students that weren't injured were immediately taken to the closest police station for debriefing. No reporters were able to talk to them and we've placed the students under temporary gag orders. Assuming there are no leaks, the media shouldn't get any details about the attack from them. As of right now, the general public doesn't know that Midoriya is still alive or that he is involved with the League."

"Good," Nezu nodded. He was visibly hurrying to keep pace with All Might and Tsukauchi's strides. "Obviously a number of things still lay before us with regard to Midoriya. But for the moment no one is the wiser about his involvement with the League, which I would like to maintain for as long as possible. I would hate to see one of our students' future as a hero jeopardized by being cast as some kind of coconspirator with the League of Villains. Until more is known about the details of Midoriya's captivity it would be best if his return is kept quiet."

Tsukauchi released a tired sigh. "The prison currently has Midoriya in a specialty holding cell on the deepest level of the prison. It has the highest security and is virtually impregnable – both from inside or outside the cell. No risks are being taken, especially since Shigaraki threatened to come back for Midoriya and he has that warp-gate specialist, Kurogiri, with him."

All Might's pace unconsciously quickened, his blood running hot. "They are _not_ getting Midoriya back. I will die before I let that happen."

Neither Nezu or Tsukauchi replied. What could they really say in response? All Might felt there was no need to keep it a secret how upset he was about the situation. Someone had kidnapped one of _his_ students, then turned him against them. No matter what kind of hero he was, he was _not_ about to let such a crime go unaddressed.

Tsukauchi led them down a turn in the hallway. How Tsukauchi knew his way around Tartarus so well was beyond All Might's understanding. All the halls looked exactly the same to him – pure white and lit from above with bright florescent lights. At the end of the new hallway two prison guards stood at attention. As they neared, All Might saw they flanked a set of two separate doors. He assumed behind one of those doors was Midoriya. All Might wasn't sure if he was excited or apprehensive to see Midoriya again so soon after their battle.

"With permission from Principle Nezu I called UA and had the school's nurse, Recovery Girl, brought in as a consultant," Tsukauchi said as they approached. "It seemed the most prudent thing to do given her preexisting knowledge of Midoriya's medical background and quirk. She's been overseeing his medical assessment since we brought him in."

All Might nodded thoughtfully. "Hopefully she'll be able to give us some insight on what's going on with young Midoriya."

They neared the guards and flashed them their visitor passes. One of the guards ran his key card through a security reader and opened the left hand door for them with a beep and heavy clunk of disengaging bolts. All Might followed Tsukauchi and Nezu inside.

The door opened into a small room. The room was as stark and colorless as the hallways outside. A single chair was the only furniture there. The only other feature of the room to speak of was a large pane of glass that took up a majority of the right hand wall. As expected, Aizawa and Recovery Girl were already there. Recovery Girl barely looked up at their arrival from a thick folder of medical papers in her hands. Aizawa barely acknowledged them either from his spot on the far side of the room. His attention was focused through the window into a secondary room on the other side.

All Might had been in similar interrogation rooms before. He knew that "window" was actually a two way mirror that looked into a holding cell. With a slight clench of trepidation in his stomach, All Might looked through the mirror.

The holding cell was about the same size as the visitor's side. All Might estimated it measured about 3 by 3 meters. There was no furniture – not even a chair or bed. White padding lined all four walls –even the inside of the door that lead outside to the hallway. It was a specialty cell for high-powered criminals with strength-based quirks. For situations in which such a room was need, no risks were taken. All Might knew the walls of that room's outside walls were over two meters thick of super reinforced concrete and metal. Nothing short of a nuclear blast would break through that cell.

On the other side of the mirror, Midoriya stalked the perimeter of the room like a caged animal. All Might saw he'd been strapped into a specially designed straightjacket over a pair of plain white hospital pants. All Might was slightly relieved to see that his fake hero costume had been taken away. Shigaraki seemed to have known just how to twist the blade in All Might's stomach with that little touch.

Under the harsh florescent light of the holding cell All Might was able to properly take in his resurrected student's appearance for the first time. Even bundled in a thick prison straightjacket, Midoriya was noticeably skinnier than he remembered. Overlong hair hung in his face. All Might couldn't be sure from a distance but he thought he saw a large bandage covering the back of Midoriya's neck where he'd torn Shigaraki's control device away. The boy's skin was a sickly shade of white. Dark circles ringed madness-filled eyes as if Midoriya hadn't slept for the last several months. All Might's blood pulsed a bit faster at the sight. He would make sure that the League did not get away with this. Whatever suffering Midoriya had endured would be met with justice. He would not let them get away with this.

Despite being barefoot, bound, and in rough health the boy still managed to give off an almost tangible aura of danger. From past visits to the jail, All Might knew that straightjacket Midoriya wore was lined with a special material that was linked to the holding cell's fail safe against unruly prisoners. On the visitor's side was a panic button. When pressed, the fail safe activated a super-powered magnetic device underneath the holding cell's floor that would pull the prisoner to the center of the room and hold them there in an artificial gravitational force field until the prisoner calmed themself. This, in addition to Aizawa's quirk-nullifying gaze, was possibly the only method to ensure Midoriya remained secure.

Blocked by the two way mirror, Midoriya remained oblivious to All Might and the others' arrival. He continued to pace the sides of the room. As All Might watched, he paused at the left wall of the holding cell and violently swung his upper body into the padded wall as though testing the wall for weaknesses. Despite the attempt, All Might could tell Midoriya was not using One for All. With a snarl, Midoriya moved away and resumed his track around the room.

Aizawa's eyes followed Midoriya's every move but his hair remained limp around his face. For the moment, the boy did not seem to be an actual threat.

Tsukauchi lead the way into the room and glanced through the mirror into Midoriya's holding cell. "How long has he been awake?"

Aizawa finally broke his gaze from the pacing teen to glance at the new arrivals. "About twenty minutes. He hasn't said or done anything too outwardly aggressive yet, but we're not taking any chances. He could go berserker again at any moment. He's definitely still feeling whatever Shigaraki gave him."

All Might looked at Recovery Girl. "Were you able to do a medical assessment yet? Do you know what we're dealing with here?"

Recovery Girl released a heavy sigh and snapped the folder of papers she held close. "Emergency response teams were able to recover the device you said you pulled off Midoriya's neck. It appears to be a storage container for vials of serum that can be remotely administered to the boy. It looks like it was feeding directly into his spinal column. We were able to recover one full vial of liquid from the delivery pack. We still need to send it to a lab for closer analysis, but initial tests show dangerously high levels of testosterone, anabolic steroids, methamphetamines, traces of opioids, as well as several other compounds too complex to identify at the moment. Basically, the poor boy's brain cells are swimming in a noxious cocktail of drugs that make him want to rip other people's faces off. No wonder he's out of his mind right now."

Aizawa scowled, his features darkening. "Shigaraki did say he called that stuff Berserker Serum. He was right. It does live up to its name…"

Releasing another sigh, Recovery Girl stared through the mirror at her patient. "While he was still unconscious I managed to do a quick examination. There's nothing too seriously wrong with him physically. He appears slightly malnourished and has some minor bruises and several circular scars around his hairline I don't remember being there before, but I'm not sure what they're from exactly. It could be nothing, or it could be related to whatever the League did to him. This so-called "Berserker Serum" is definitely a big part of what's causing him to lash out like this, but I'm almost certain he's suffered some kind of psychological harm as well…"

The sick feeling in All Might's stomach worsened. Recovery Girl's assessment made him only feel more helpless and angry than before. He should have been there to protect Midoriya. It was because of the League his student was in a straightjacket locked in a cell half out of his mind on unknown drugs. He would not let the League get away with such crimes.

Recovery Girl went on, "From what Mr. Aizawa's told me about the fight it does look like Midoriya is coming down a bit from the worst effects of the drug. But he's still obviously feeling them."

As if to emphasize the doctor's assessment, on the other side of the glass, Midoriya paused at a section of padded wall just to the right of the two way mirror and slammed his shoulder into it like an American linebacker. All Might could feel the hit reverberate through the wall and under his feet.

Snarling, Midoriya moved away to continue his track around the cell.

"In other words," Tsukauchi carefully observed, "he's still extremely dangerous. Until further notice the police department has commissioned Mr. Aizawa to remain at Tartarus and act as a guard over Midoriya. We can't risk him breaking free and getting loose. After the train station attack, who knows what other chaos he could cause."

"Has he said anything since he woke up?" All Might asked.

Aizawa shook his head. "No. Nothing. Just got up and started tracking the room. Oddly, he hasn't tried to get out of his restraints or inflict any actual damage on the room." Without taking his gaze off the pacing boy, Aizawa motioned with his chin towards a large red button on a panel underneath the two way mirror. "First sign of aggression, though, I activate that fail safe. The head guard told me the magnetic pull of that thing can go up to one hundred times Earth's natural gravity. Between that and my own quirk to neutralize his super strength we should be able to keep Midoriya immobilized if it comes to it."

"Shall we see if Midoriya is willing to enlighten us about his time away?" Nezu asked the room. He glanced up at Tsukauchi. "I understand this is officially a police interrogation, but I don't believe Midoriya knows you. Perhaps it would be alright if I asked Midoriya questions? If he remembers me he might be more willing to talk."

Tsukauchi considered this for a moment. "Alright. I'll allow it."

"There is an intercom that connects the rooms together so we can speak to Midoriya, correct?" Nezu asked.

Tsukauchi nodded. "Yes, of course. Here." He pulled the only chair in the room over to the two way mirror and offered Nezu a hand up onto it. The principle gratefully accepted the officer's help. Once standing on the chair he was almost chest level with everyone else there.

Tsukauchi pointed to a small control panel beside the room's fail safe button. "Just flip that switch on the right to activate the intercom. Flip it back to cut the feed to the holding cell."

"Thank you," Nezu nodded. He glanced back over his shoulder towards All Might. "All Might, as a precaution, might I suggest you remain silent during the interrogation? The League seems to have somehow convinced Midoriya you are his enemy. He might be more forthcoming with information if he is not encouraged to attack you if he knows you are here."

All Might's first instinct was to argue. He wanted to know what had happened to Midoriya more than anyone else there. Midoriya had been his responsibility before anyone else's. He had been Midoriya's mentor since before the boy was even admitted to UA. If anyone should have a chance to speak to Midoriya first, it should be him.

But… Nezu did have a point. As much as All Might didn't want to admit it, the League had somehow turned Midoriya against him. As Nezu pointed out, if the boy heard All Might there Midoriya might try to continue their fight where they'd left it off at the train station.

"Alright," All Might reluctantly agreed. "I won't say anything."

Nezu gratefully nodded. "Thank you. I do understand how difficult this must be for you. We'll do everything we can to figure out how to help Midoriya and bring him back to us." Nezu glanced at Aizawa. "Please stay sharp. First sign of aggression, please take any necessary steps to curtail it."

"Of course," Aizawa dutifully agreed.

Nezu activated the intercom with a flick of his paw. "Hello, Midoriya. This is principle Nezu from UA high school. Do you remember me?"

Midoriya abruptly stopped pacing and turned towards the mirror. All Might knew Midoriya couldn't see them, but he still felt a cold chill go down his spine as the boy's eyes swung towards the two way mirror. Midoriya's lips curled back from his teeth in a psychotic grin. Even though the boy was calmer than when All Might met him at the train station, Midoriya still had a predatory look in his eyes. Like it wasn't really him that was locked up and bound in that cell; but rather them, his visitors, who were the ones trapped in there with him.

"Nezu," Midoriya purred in greeting. "How could I forget? So they dragged you here to see me."

"It seems you created something of a ruckus at the train station earlier."

Midoriya released a low chuckle. His lips twisted in a devilish grin. "I guess you could say that." He took several steps closer to the mirror, manic eyes boring into the reflective surface as though trying to somehow see through it to the other side. "Is All Might in there with you? I'd really like to talk to him again. We have some unfinished business…"

"Unfortunately, he is not. He's seeing to several important matters right now."

Midoriya's face screwed into an angry scowl. "More important than me? Shame. I would have made his visit worth it."

"The police and I have several questions we would like to ask you."

Midoriya edged closer to the glass. He now stood barely a foot away from it. "I'm sure you do."

"Where was the League of Villains holding you?"

"Don't know."

"Do you know what the League's plans are next?"

"Nope."

"What was their ultimate goal for attacking the train station tonight?"

Midoriya gave a low chuckle. All Might believed it was a sound that belonged in an insane asylum. "To draw All Might out into the open. The master wanted to test my strength. He said it was time to see what I could do."

Midoriya inched closer to the two way mirror and slowly tipped forward until his forehead bumped the glass. He stared out from under overlong green bangs into his own reflection. His breath made little puffs of fog against the mirror. All Might knew there was no possible way for Midoriya to see him there, but that didn't quite stop him from standing up a little taller. The hairs on the back of neck instinctively stood on end. Even Nezu visibly leaned back away from the glass. Midoriya's presence was invasive and exuded danger even through several inches of special reinforced glass. Madness seemed to seep off him in tangible waves.

"How about a question for you," Midoriya smiled. "If All Might's not here, where is he?" He sluggishly rolled his forehead side to side as though scouting through the glass to scan the visitor section. "Did I hurt him much?"

The question was asked almost hopefully, which made All Might distinctly uncomfortable.

Nezu kept his calm and didn't let anything slip in his voice. "All Might is fine. But he is very worried about you. You are obviously not yourself."

A laugh erupted from Midoriya as manic eyes swung back to stare straight ahead through the mirror – ironically, almost directly at Nezu. "All Might should be worried less about me and more about what I'm going to do to him once I get out of here… Do you think if I used my quirk to break out of here he'd come?"

As if to test his theory, tracks of glowing red energy appeared across his face and neck. Even separated by several inches of military-grade glass All Might could feel the charge of electricity in the air.

But as quickly as One For All manifested it abruptly disappeared again. Deranged green eyes immediately swung to the far left side of the mirror where Aizawa stood. The erasing hero's hair was swept up away from his face, his eyes a soft glow of red.

A chill went through All Might. There should be no way for Midoriya to know where Aizawa was standing behind the mirror. But somehow he'd managed to pinpoint him. Could he somehow feel the direction Aizawa's quirk came from? To All Might's knowledge that should be impossible, yet here they were with Midoriya staring daggers through the glass almost directly at Aizawa. Even half-crazed and high on some unknown quirk-enhancing drug, the boy's skills of deduction were frightening.

All Might didn't seem to be the only one to realize what just happened. If All Might wasn't mistaken he could have sworn he saw Aizawa stiffen and actually take half a step backwards in surprise.

"I should have known you'd be here, Mr. Aizawa," Midoriya growled through the glass. "You stopped me from finishing All Might at the train station. Once I get out of here and finish All Might I'll make sure to come see you next."

To his credit, Aizawa's voice did not betray any unease. "That's not going to happen, Midoriya. Not while I'm here."

Midoriya leaned back from the glass, a psychotic smile curling almost to his ears. "Keep telling yourself that. Hey, Mr. Aizawa," he murmured, leaning closer to the mirror again as though to whisper a secret. "Remember that first day of class when you said you'd expel the student that came in last for the fitness test? You should have sent me home that day. Because erasing quirk or not, once I get out of here I'm going to hunt you down, scoop your eyeballs out of your skull and squish them between my toes like grapes." Midoriya's smile widened even more before a manic cackle erupted from his mouth. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Midoriya's threat was not an empty one.

It was at that moment that All Might truly realized just how much the League had warped the young boy All Might had taken under his wings what felt like a lifetime ago. Whoever this boy locked in this cell was was no longer the Midoriya he remembered. Seeing him like this and hearing such threats come out of his mouth made All Might wonder if there really was any hope of bringing the boy he once knew back.

Nezu was the first to recover from his shock at Midoriya's threat. The mouse delicately cleared his throat. "If you please, Midoriya. Let's try to stay on track… You keep saying you want to attack All Might. What exactly did he do, or the League say he did, to make you so intent on this?"

Midoriya returned his gaze forward. Green eyes burned bright with madness. "All Might knows what he did. I trusted him. When I first met him I actually believed he was the kind of hero everyone else said he was. But now I know I was just being a dumb, idiotic kid to believe all that fake hype. I saw All Might's true colors when it really came down to it. It's his fault they took me and made me live in the dark. It's his fault the master had to reset me. This. Is. All. His. _Fault_!"

All Might didn't know how to react. He'd heard many villain monologues over the years – blaming him for all the wrongs of the world and why it was somehow his fault crime was the only answer to their problems. But hearing such things from his protégé's own mouth hit All Might in way it had never got to him before.

Before he could remember his promise, All Might blurted out, "I don't understand, Midoriya! Tell me what I did. How can I make this right?"

The change in Midoriya was instantaneous. As soon as All Might's voice registered in his brain his gaze sharpened. His lips peeled back from his teeth in a ferocious snarl. Murderous rage filled his eyes. "ALL MIGHT!" he roared at the glass. "I'm going to kill yoooooooouu!"

Energy sprang up and crackled the air around Midoriya. Sharply leaning back from the two way mirror, Midoriya snapped forward at the waist. His forehead smacked the glass with a hollow _thunk_. The mirror shuddered in its tracks.

"I'll killlllllllll yooooooooooou!"

Midoriya reared back again and violently drove his face into the glass. A dinner plate-sized shatter point appeared in the middle of the glass. Spider web cracks shot across the mirror several feet in all directions. The center of the impact point shined a wet, sticky red.

There was half a heartbeat of startled horror from everyone in the visitor room. Aizawa was the first to shake himself out of his shock. The erasing hero's hair flew up around his face. His hand darted out and slapped the fail safe button.

Midoriya was rearing back for a third strike just as the crackling energy of One For All disappeared from around him and the fail safe kicked on. Blood was streaming down his face in thick rivulets. Droplets of red spotted the front of his straight jacket. A low hum filled the room and suddenly Midoriya was being dragged backwards to the center of the room. He dropped heavily to his knees, viciously thrashing against the invisible magnetic pull. Without the use of his quirk, though, all he could do was struggle.

"ALLLMIIIGHT!" he roared at the window in a mindless rage. "I'll kiiiiillll you! You hear me?! I'll kill yooooooooooou!""

Aizawa reached over and slapped the intercom system off so their voices could no longer be heard in the cell. Midoriya's ranting screams abruptly quieted too, but they could still hear the muffled whisper of his screams through the cracked remains of the mirror.

All Might stood frozen in place, staring at his former student in heartbroken, stunned anguish. The pure violence of Midoriya's assault on the mirror in response to just the sound of his voice was shocking. He knew Midoriya was not himself and that this reckless hatred towards him was a result of his stay with the League of Villains. But that didn't lessen the sting of knowing that the boy he loved as a son wanted to see him dead.

It hurt. It hurt in a way All Might hadn't been hurt for many, many years now.

All Might only came back to himself when he felt Tsukauchi step up beside him and grip his arm. "Hey, All Might. Come on. Don't listen to him. He's out of his mind right now. Whatever the League did to him wasn't you fault."

Wasn't it though?

All Might wanted to listen to Tsukauchi. He really did. He trusted the young cop's judgment but this was something that went beyond logic. Midoriya's accusations struck at his very core, reminding him once again of what a failure he was and how much he'd let his student down.

"I suggest you get out of here, All Might," Aizawa darkly announced. Quirk reddened eyes continued to nullify Midoriya's quirk through the glass. Aizawa did not risk even tilting his head in All Might's direction. "This interrogation's over. We're not going to get any more useful information out of him now."

All Might heard the disapproval in Aizawa's voice. He knew he'd screwed up by speaking and letting Midoriya know he was there. But how could he leave Midoriya now? He had to figure out some way to help the boy. He _had_ to!

Nezu jumped down from the chair. "Come, All Might. Let's leave Aizawa to his work. We'll wait until Midoriya is calmed down to try talking to him again."

All Might numbly let Tsukauchi guide him towards the door.

Tsukauchi glanced back over his shoulder towards Aizawa and Recovery Girl. "Please let us know if there are any improvements in his condition."

Recovery Girl let out a tired sigh, as if steeling herself for the long road ahead. "We'll continue running what tests we can on this Berserker Serum. Hopefully whatever it is will wear off quickly. In any other circumstance I'd suggest possibly sedating the patient to wait for the chemicals to clear the system. But… given we don't know exactly what this Berserker Serum is made of, how it would react with any sort of sedatives we'd give him, and how overtaxed the poor boy's systems already are with so many chemicals running through him I don't think that would be a good idea right now… As long as Aizawa can keep him under control I don't suggest making this situation any worse than it already is."

"Please keep us posted," Nezu insisted.

Midoriya's muffled screams could still be heard through the two way mirror. All Might glanced back one last time as Tsukauchi guided him into the hallway. The boy was violently thrashing on his knees. Blood stained his face and the front of his straightjacket. Between the blood-matted locks of hair Midoriya glared at the two way mirror. All Might saw nothing but murderous rage in those eyes. Watching Midoriya scream and thrash, All Might honestly could see nothing of the sweet boy he one knew and loved. All that remained was this demon-possessed being of hate. Not for the first time he wondered if there was any way to bring the Midoriya he loved back.

Thoughts, comments, and questions, as always, are welcomed and encouraged!


End file.
